Connected
by butterflyKisses26
Summary: Sydney and Vaughn's daughter is kidnapped by Sark. But Sark never counted on falling in love with his hostage. COMPLETE!
1. The beginning

Disclaimer: No I do not own any of the characters from Alias, but I do own everything and anything original to this story.  
  
Spoilers: In my story Sydney never went missing, there was no Lauren Reed, Vaughn was never married to anybody else, and Syd and Vaughn got married after a year of dating. BUT, the Covenant does exist.  
  
Summary: Sydney and Michael Vaughn had been married for a few years, they found that Sydney could not have children, thus prompting them to adopt a young girl with a mysterious past. The girl grew up and is now in college. She has grown into a beautiful young woman who is smart, strong, and very much like her adopted mother.  
When the Covenant finds out the truth about this young woman's past, they send Sark to take her hostage. But Sark never counted on double crossing the Covenant, needing the young woman to help save his life, and he DEFINALTY didn't plan on falling in love with her.  
Trust me, it's better than it sounds, at least I hope.  
  
Connected  
  
Prologue  
  
Children ran about the large room that was filled with toys. The younger ones playing with blocks and stuffed animals; the middle ones playing make-believe, dress up, and games of tag; and the older ones minding the children younger than them or off in groups talking with each other. Michael and Sydney Vaughn looked at each child that ran about.  
The Vaughns had only been married three years, but they'd found out early on in their marriage that Sydney was unable to have children. So, they had searched out orphanages so that they might offer a home to one of the many children without parents. This was the fifth one they'd visited that year, and they had yet to find the child that would complete their family.  
A baby's cry rang throughout the room and caught the attention of the couple. They searched the room for the crying baby and saw the wailing child being held by a teen that sat at the far end of the room. They made their way closer, the nun that ran the orphanage not far behind them. The girl that held the infant looked up as they approached, glancing at them as if she was studying them. Sydney spoke to the nun who then addressed the teen.  
  
"This couple would like to see Tommy, Chloe." The nun said.  
  
"Of course Mother Francis." The girl replied with a nod of her head. She stood and placed the now quiet child in Sydney's out stretched arms. The baby started crying as soon as it left Chloe's arms. Sydney tried to shush the child, but Tommy would not be quieted.  
  
"Here, let me see him." Chloe said taking the boy back from Sydney. Immediately he quieted and cooed happily as Chloe played with his small fingers and talked to him softly. Sydney and Vaughn exchanged looks as Chloe resumed her seat in the rocking chair.  
  
"There are other infants in the nursery if you would like to see them." Mother Francis offered the couple. The girl glanced up at them and said something under her breath as they started to turn away.  
  
"What was that Chloe?" The nun asked sharply, turning back around to glare at the girl.  
  
"Nothing ma'am." Chloe replied with mock innocence, "I was just saying that it is typical for a couple to want to see the babies, seeing as they never wish to adopt a teenager who has a mind of their own. No, they'd much rather adopt a mindless infant who they can mold to fit their picture perfect family image."  
  
"I have had quite enough of your back talk Chloe," the nun said harshly, "one more comment like that and it is out on the street for you."  
  
"Is that really necessary?" Sydney asked looking worriedly from the teen to the nun, "I mean she's just a girl."  
  
"It is QUITE necessary," Mother Francis said looking at the couple, "Chloe needs time to reflect on he insolence, she is far too outspoken and needs to relearn her place." Chloe rolled her eyes behind the nun's back, and the couple stifled laughs as she mimicked each word the matron said, as if she'd heard this speech before.  
They liked this girl. She reminded Sydney of herself as a teenager, and Vaughn was also caught by the resemblance to his wife.  
  
"Mother Francis," Vaughn said, breaking into the nun's speech, "Would you mind if we talked with Chloe for a bit?"  
  
"I do not believe that that is a good idea Mr. Vaughn." The nun started.  
  
"We would like to talk with Chloe, whether or not you like it." Sydney interrupted. The nun looked shock that Sydney would dare talk to her like that, and was about to say something when she thought better of it and turned around and left the three of them alone.  
  
"Hi Chloe," Sydney said, "I'm Sydney Vaughn and this is my husband Michael."  
  
"It's nice to meet you both." Chloe replied with a smile, anyone who dared to talk back to Mother Francis earned the teen's utmost respect, "So you guys are in the market for a kid huh?" she asked.  
  
"You could say that." Vaughn laughed as the couple sat down in the chairs opposite Chloe.  
  
"Well, what would you like to know?" Chloe asked.  
  
"We'd like to know about you." Sydney said. Chloe settled back in the rocker, shifting Tommy to a more comfortable position.  
  
"Alright. My mom was born in Russia, into some wealthy family from what I can gather. Anyway, her parents threatened to disown her if she married this guy she was seeing. He was American, and her folks couldn't stand him. Well it turns out that she ran away with him, but before the two of them could get married, my dad died, and my mom found out that she was pregnant with me. So she was all alone in America, didn't know anybody here, and had absolutely no money. She wasn't really well off, she slept anywhere that would offer her a little bit of shelter. Well the time came and I was born. My mom died around my tenth birthday, and I was dumped off here, been here for five years."  
  
"And nobody's ever wanted to adopt you?" Sydney asked.  
  
"Nope." Chloe replied with a nonchalant shrug, "Everybody that comes here wants the babies. You know, they're all sweet and cuddly," she glanced down at the baby in her arms, "I don't blame 'em. I mean, who'd want a teenager?"  
Vaughn and Sydney exchanged looks and a silent message was passed between them. Five months later Chloe was moving in with them.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I hope that you guys liked this, and I hope that you will review. I'm not making any promises that I'll update often because I'm very busy right now with school and stuff, but I will try to update at least once a month. Please review and tell me what you thought of the prologue. 


	2. Family night

Chapter One  
  
Chloe hummed happily to herself as she loaded her dirty clothes into the washing machine. It was Saturday, and she loved Saturdays for two reasons. One, no school, other than the pile of homework that her professors gave her, and two, Saturday was family day. Ever since Chloe's first weekend with her parents seven years ago, Saturday had always been reserved for the three of them. It was a time for them to sit down and have a nice dinner, talk about their weeks, play games, and generally be together.  
Sydney and Vaughn had told Chloe when they first adopted her that they worked for the CIA, but it hadn't been till her twentieth birthday two years ago that they had informed her about what exactly they did for the CIA. They had always strived to be a family, despite the hectic schedule they had because of the CIA, and they had succeeded.  
Once her laundry was started, Chloe made her way out to the kitchen to start on dinner. Her parents would be back from work any time now, and she wanted dinner ready for them. The front door opened and she could hear them coming in.  
  
"Something sure smells good in here." Vaughn said as he came into the kitchen. He hugged Chloe and wen to inspect what was in the oven. The young woman shook her head and smiled as she watched her father, always thinking with his stomach. Sydney followed her husband and greeted her daughter with a hug of her own.  
  
"How are you Chloe? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages." Her mother pouted.  
  
"It's only been a week mom." Chloe laughed.  
  
"Feels like longer than that." Sydney sighed. Chloe smiled at her mother. Even though she'd been nearly all grown up when the Vaughns adopted her, Chloe had always felt as if she'd been born into the family. They had been that loving and accepting of her.  
The timer dinged on the oven and the family sat down to eat and start their Saturday ritual.  
  
Sark tapped his fingers expectantly atop the walnut table that he sat at. He had to admit that he was nervous when the Covenant called him into this meeting, and the longer they made him wait, the more anxious he got. He sat alone in the large room usually reserved for the top men in the Covenant to have their meetings. Sark didn't know why he'd been called in for this meeting, but he was smart enough to know that when the Covenants top men ask you to come and meet with them, it can't be good.  
The door opened and Sark stood respectfully as three men walked in. Each of them was dressed in expensive designer suits with Italian shoes and silk ties. They acknowledged Sark with nods. The English man waited until they had been seated before he resumed his seat.  
  
"You must be wondering why we called you here," said one of the men. He was middle aged, but the cut of his suit showed that he was still well built.  
  
"I must admit that I am a bit anxious to know what the Covenant wants with me now." Sark replied.  
  
"Mister Sark," a second gentleman replied, this one older than the others, and more distinguished with a full head of salt and pepper hair, "We have heard reports of a woman in America who has some information that we need. And since you are a member of the North American cell, and stationed close to where this woman resides, you were the only option."  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not following." Sark said watching each of the men closely.  
  
"Mr. Sark, we wish that you take this woman into your care until we can extract what we need from her." the first gentleman said.  
  
"You wish me to kidnap her?" Sark questioned.  
  
"Now Mr. Sark, kidnap is such a harsh word," the man replied, "We merely wish to ask her a few questions in hopes that we will obtain the information we seek." The third man placed a file on the table and slid it over to Sark who opened it cautiously. He stared down at the picture.  
  
"Beautiful, is she not?" the older of the men asked as they watched Sark carefully.  
  
"Yes she is." Sark replied.  
  
"We want her taken as soon as possible, and we want it done quietly." The first man said, "You may go now Mr. Sark." Sark stood and nodded his good-byes to the men before walking out of the room.  
  
Laughter echoed throughout the Vaughn home as the three family members sat around the table playing a game of cards and snacking on popcorn, pretzels, and soda. Dinner was long over, and the family was beginning to settle down for the night.  
  
"Uno!" Vaughn exclaimed laying down a card. Chloe glanced at her father before placing a wild card down.  
  
"Blue." She said. Sydney studied her cards and placed down a blue skip.  
  
"What? Are you two gonna gang up on me now!" Vaughn cried as Chloe placed down a card and cried uno.  
  
"Yep." The two women said together. Sydney smirked and placed a reverse card on the discard stack.  
  
"Thank you mom." Chloe said giddily as she placed her final card down, "I win!"  
  
"It's no fair," Vaughn pouted throwing his card down on the table, "You always win."  
  
"Oh you poor baby," Sydney said leaning over and kissing her husband softly on the lips, "Does that make it better?"  
  
"No." Vaughn whined, his pout deepening. Sydney smirked and moved in again.  
  
"If you two are gonna start a make-out session, then I'm gonna go ahead and head back to the dorm." Chloe said interrupting them.  
  
"Don't let us stop you." Vaughn said pulling his wife closer to him. Sydney smacked him upside the head.  
  
"Is that anyway to talk to your daughter." She scolded him.  
  
"It is when we're about to get hot and heavy." Vaughn teased.  
  
"Eww, gross. Innocent ears here." Chloe said covering her ears.  
  
"You're not that innocent." Vaughn laughed.  
  
"I might be." Chloe said with a small smile. The clock on the wall struck midnight, breaking into whatever her dad was gonna say.  
  
"I better get going." The young woman said getting up and heading towards the laundry room to gather her clothes, "I need to get up early tomorrow morning if I'm gonna go rock climbing with Jill. I swear, that girl has too much energy, it's like she doesn't even need sleep."  
  
"You're still going to your grandfather's on Tuesday right?" Sydney asked as Chloe dropped her laundry bag by the door.  
  
"Of course, do you really think I'd miss Grandpa's birthday dinner?"  
  
"I would if I could." Vaughn said under his breath.  
  
"Oh shut up." Sydney said slapping her husband's arm.  
  
"Oww! What's with all the hitting woman?" Vaughn asked rubbing his arm. Syd rolled her eyes and turned back to her daughter.  
  
"Drive safe." She said hugging the young woman.  
  
"I will mom. Bye dad." Chloe hugged her dad and left with a wave.  
  
"We did a good job." Syd said as she watched her daughter walk out the door.  
  
"We sure did." Vaughn said pulling his wife down onto his lap and kissing her soundly.  
  
Well that's the end of chapter one. Please review and tell me what you thought. I want to thank everybody who reviewed the prologue. I can't believe I got EIGHT reviews for that! That's so cool! Please keep the reviews coming. 


	3. An oridinary day?

Author's Note: Okay everybody, I'd like to thank all of those who've reviewed this already. You guys ROCK! Now I'd like to warn you, Chloe might start to seem a little Mary-Sueish from here. But I promise that she's not going to be a Mary-Sue character. You have my word on that. Now, on with the story.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
The shrill beeping of her alarm clock brought Chloe out of her deep slumber. Groaning grumpily she rolled over and smacked the snooze button.  
  
"Why in the world did I agree to do this?" she muttered to the empty room as she dragged herself out of bed, "I've got to be crazy to get up at three thirty in the morning." Forcing herself into the shower, Chloe let the steaming water relax her tired muscles. Her eyes drooped and she swayed as she began to fall back asleep. Pinching herself she jolted back awake and stepped out of the shower before she really fell asleep. Chloe poured a cup of coffee and drank the heavenly liquid as she debated what to wear.  
  
"Well, we're going to be climbing rocks, so something comfortable and flexible." She said pulling a pair of track pants from her closet and a sports bra from the dresser. She pulled an exercise jacket on over her bra and zipped it up snugly. She tied the laces on her running shoes and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. With a final look in the floor length mirror, Chloe was ready to go.  
  
  
  
"Where have you been?" Jill asked as Chloe jogged down the steps of the dormitory, "I've been waiting for you for thirty minutes."  
  
"Sorry," Chloe apologized, "but some of us actually LIKE to sleep."  
  
"Whatever." Jill rolled her eyes good-naturadly, "Come on we've got to get going if we're gonna make it to the cliff by sunrise."  
  
"You're a slave driver McClain." Chloe teased as she followed the athletic red head to her black SUV.  
  
"Just get in Vaughn." Jill laughed, opening the driver's side door.  
  
"Aye, aye captain." Chloe mock saluted.  
  
  
  
The alarm buzzed and Sark sat up tiredly wiping the sleep from his eyes. He glanced at the clock and started when he saw that it was already eight in the morning. How could he have slept in so late? Usually he was up and about by six. He got out of bed and stretched his tired muscles. Grabbing his shirt he headed out to the kitchen of his apartment and poured himself a cup of coffee.  
The brown folder sat on his kitchen table, staring at him as if to ask when he would once again open it. With a sigh Sark picked it up and read through the pages of notes and facts.  
  
"Name," it said, "Chloe Vaughn."  
  
"That sounds familiar." Sark said to himself, shaking his head he continued to read, "Parents, Michael and Sydney Vaughn." Sark's coffee flew out of his mouth and all over the table and floor. He was supposed to kidnap the daughter of Sydney Bristow, well Vaughn now, but still. If there was one thing that Sark wasn't, it was stupid. He knew better then to get on Sydney's bad side. He'd been there before, and it was not pretty.  
Sark quickly cleaned up the mess he'd made and continued reading the file, "Age: twenty-two. Education: Grad student at the University of California, majoring in English. Special talents: Black belt in karate, expert marksman, kickboxing, dance, speaks two foreign languages- French and Italian. Note: Take care when approaching, this woman is dangerous when threatened."  
  
"Well isn't that just great." Sark muttered throwing the file down on the table, "It's bad enough her mother is Sydney Bristow, now she's dangerous. I should have known Sydney would train her." Sark shook his head wearily. The Covenant wanted this young woman for a reason, what it was he didn't know, but he was smart enough to know that this was an important mission.  
Getting up from the table, Sark made his way to the living room. He pulled one of the books off of the shelf in the room and the bookshelf moved revealing a room filled with weapons. Knives, state of the art guns, silent and regular, some with scopes and some without; knockout gas, and lethal gases of all types, all of it was lined up neatly around the room. Sark loaded some surveillance equipment into a bag, placing a small dart gun in as well. The gun would be used to knock her out if he couldn't take her by force, of course he would have some of his men on backup, but there was always the chance she could kick all of their butts. After checking to make sure he had everything, Sark called up some of his men and headed out the door.  
  
  
  
"Tell me again how I let you talk me into this." Chloe said fearfully as she looked down the face of the cliff. She sat suspended in the air at the height of a fifty-story building. There was nothing beneath her but rocks, trees, and more rocks.  
The two girls had arrived just before sunrise and immediately started up the cliff. Now the sun was up, lighting the sky with its' bright light. The blue sky was free of clouds, and Chloe could see a plane flying overhead. More people were starting up the cliff, which was a favorite weekend spot for many climbers, and Chloe could see them climbing.  
  
"You said you wanted to try something new and different." Jill laughed as she looked down at Chloe's frightened face, "Just don't look down and you'll be fine."  
  
"Yeah, sure. That's easy for you to say, you don't have a small fear of heights!" Chloe cried  
  
"If you're so scared of heights, why did you say you'd come with me?" Jill asked swinging down to look Chloe in the eye, "You're not afraid of heights Chloe, and you know it."  
  
"I might be!" Chloe exclaimed.  
  
"Oh please, you're such a baby." Jill laughed, "Look, we're ten feet from the top. Once we get up there, there's a path that we can take down."  
  
"Promise?" Chloe whined.  
  
"Scout's honor." Jill saluted.  
  
"Okay." Chloe began to climb, "HEY wait a second," she stopped where she was and glared at Jill, "You were never a scout!"  
  
  
  
Sark sat in a discreet white van that was parked across the street from Sanderson Hall, Chloe's dormitory. He watched thousands of girls go in and out of the building, but none of them was Chloe Vaughn.  
  
"Maybe we got the wrong dormitory boss." Sark's right hand man Devin said.  
  
"This is the right place." Sark growled, "Just keep your eyes open."  
  
"Yes sir." Devin said turning back to his own set of binoculars. Silence filled the van and Sark grew annoyed that Chloe had not yet shown.  
  
"Maybe she's a way for the weekend." Devin suggested, he himself tired of the silence.  
  
"No, she's..." he paused as he caught sight of an SUV that had just pulled into the student parking lot next to the building. A blonde stepped out of the driver's side, and out of the passenger's side came one of the most beautiful women that Sark had ever seen.  
She had shoulder length copper brown hair with long bangs that fell into her almond shaped, honey brown eyes. She wore tight work out clothes that accentuated her womanly curves. Her jacket was unzipped; showing off her well developed abs and muscled stomach. Her legs were long and shapely, and the track pants showed them off well. She had an innocent face and a sweet smile.  
  
"That's her," he said as the woman made her way towards the steps.  
  
"THAT'S her?" Devin said as he eyed the woman, "Wow." Sark looked at Devin who seemed to be drooling over Chloe.  
  
"She's not that attractive." Sark scoffed.  
  
"Are you blind Julian?" Sark glared at his friend, nobody dared to call him Julian!  
  
"Just get ready." Sark said as he noticed Chloe stop on the steps and turn back to the SUV. The blonde continued inside, leaving the brunette all alone outside, "Now's our chance." The two men stepped out of the van and made their way through the shadows towards the SUV.  
  
  
  
"I'll be right in Jill, I forgot my bag." Chloe said as she turned around on the steps.  
  
"Okay, I'll meet you up in my room." Jill said heading inside Sanderson Hall. Chloe made her way back to Jill's SUV. A sharp chill ran up her spine and Chloe felt as if she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder, eyeing the sidewalk that was empty of people. Chloe closed her eyes and shook the feeling off of her. She reached the car and opened the door. Something hard hit her in the back and Chloe fell forward onto the seat with a groan. Her head swam and she screwed her eyes shut, willing her head to clear. A hand reached around with a cloth in it. Chloe saw it and knew what it was, chlorophyll! Somebody was trying to kidnap her! Chloe swung her foot up quickly and caught whoever it was in between the legs. He groaned and she spun around, delivering a punch to the masked man's face. He fell to the ground with a thump.  
Chloe smirked, then she saw a second attacker. But this one had a gun trained on her!  
  
"I'm gonna die!" Chloe's mind screamed. The man fired and Chloe felt a sharp prick in her neck before her whole world went black.  
  
  
  
I hope that you guys liked this chapter and will review it. Please remember to be completely honest when you tell me what you think of this story. Thanks.  
  
PS. Sark's first name is Julian, right? 


	4. Fire vs Ice

Chapter Three  
  
Chloe's vision swam as she opened her eyes. She had a splitting headache, and her whole body was sore.  
  
"What happened to me?" she thought as she struggled to sit up. She took in her surroundings in a daze; "This isn't my room. Where am I?" she wondered as she looked around the dark, dank cell that resembled a prison.  
  
Chloe sat on a cot on one end of the 'room' that was surrounded by iron bars. Outside of the bars she could see a corridor that was just as dark and uninviting as the cell in which Chloe sat.  
A cold wind blew in from a crack in the wall, and Chloe sat shivering beneath the thin blanket that covered her. She reached up to push a piece of hair behind her ear, but she couldn't! She was handcuffed! Chloe stared down at the cuffs in horror. What was going on? What had happened to her? Then it all came back, the men in the masks, the chloroform, the gun, and the sharp sting.  
  
"A knock out dart that's what it was!" she thought as she gingerly touched the small swelling on her neck where the dart had gone in, "How am I going to get out of here? Why am I here?" the questions just kept rolling around in Chloe's head. She had to do something, and quick. A door closed somewhere down the corridor, and loud, staccato footsteps made their way towards her.  
Thinking quickly, Chloe pulled a bobby pin from her hair, she never left home without one, don't ask me why. She buried her face in the pillow, if you could call it that, and stuck her hands beneath the pillow. She bit her lip until tears sprang to her eyes and she was crying in pain. Working at the lock on the cuffs, Chloe listened carefully as the footsteps drew closer.  
  
  
  
Nodding to the man that stood guard a couple feet from Chloe's cell, Sark inclined his head towards the door, silently telling him to leave. Sark wanted no witnesses for what he was about to the young woman. If it was information the Covenant wanted, information they would get.  
He could hear her crying before he even was close enough to see her. Sark felt strange as he watched her lying there sobbing, it was almost like he felt sympathy. But Sark would not allow himself to have emotions. He drew himself up to his full height, an impressive six foot two, and unlocked the door to the cell.  
  
"Get up." He commanded as he walked over to the cot. The young woman just lay there, her body racked by tremendous sobs; "I said get up." he growled, reaching down to pull her up. As his hand wrapped around her wrist, Chloe's free hand swung around and hit Sark square in the jaw. Sark fell back, rubbing his aching jaw. He could taste blood in his mouth. Sark was about to call for the guard, but Chloe grabbed the lapels of his designer jacket and pushed him up against the bars roughly. Fire burned in her eyes, and Sark was shocked at how intense they were.  
  
"What do you want with me you son of a..." she started.  
  
"Ah, ah, ah," Sark interrupted her wagging his finger in front of her face, "Language Chloe, language."  
  
"How do you know my name?" she asked, shoving him hard into the bars. Sark winced as the metal dug into his back, along with the gun in his back pocket! Sark knew that if he could just distract Chloe enough he would be able to grab the gun without her noticing.  
  
"Now what kind of spy would I be if I told you how I came by my information." Sark said with a smirk.  
  
"Who are you?" Chloe growled her grip on him tightening.  
  
"Julian Sark." He said as if introducing himself to the queen of England. He could feel the butt of his gun now, and he wrapped his hand around it, pulling it out slowly he continued to talk. "Now that I've answered your questions," he continued, "Why don't you have a seat and answer some of my questions?" he pulled the gun out in front of him and dug it into Chloe's bare stomach.  
  
  
  
The cold metal of the gun sent shivers down Chloe's spine as she stared Sark in the eye. His intense blue eyes bore into hers and Chloe gulped as he dug the gun in further.  
  
"His eyes are as icy as his heart." She thought as she stared into his arctic blue eyes, "If he has a heart that is." She slowly released her hold on him and backed up to the cot.  
  
"Good girl." Sark smirked condescendingly. Chloe glared at him, cursing him in her head.  
  
"What do you want with me?" She seethed as Sark advanced towards her.  
  
"My employers want something that you have" he replied, "And I'm going to get it from you."  
  
"I don't own anything that's worth getting KIDNAPPED!" Chloe cried, her eyes blazing with fury.  
  
"It's not exactly what you HAVE, but what you KNOW." Sark said, "Now, are you going to tell me what you know?"  
  
"Even if I did know what you're talking about, I wouldn't tell YOU." Chloe replied rudely.  
  
"Very well." Sark replied with a shrug. He started to turn and then quickly swung around and punched Chloe in the gut.  
The young woman fell to the ground, clutching her stomach as she fought to regain her breath. She glared up at Sark, feeling nothing but animosity towards him.  
  
"What was that for you jerk?" she yelled, struggling back to her feet. But Sark wasn't about to let that happen. He kicked her feet out from under her, causing Chloe to fall on her back on the hard, concrete floor.  
  
"Oh you are going to pay for that." She growled, swinging her foot behind Sark's knees. He fell with a groan and Chloe quickly jumped to her feet and executed a perfect roundhouse kick, only to meet with empty air.  
  
  
  
Sark dodged the kick and sprung to his feet. Chloe glared at him and he smirked, swinging the gun that was still in his hand in her face. He saw her eyes move towards the gun, but he was not swift enough to stop the karate chop that she delivered to his wrist, knocking the gun from his hand. The gun flew across the floor and slid between the iron bars out into the corridor. Sark's eyes narrowed, Chloe was a formidable opponent indeed.  
The two circled each other, waiting for an opening. Sark saw Chloe's hips shift, and felt the kick to his gut. He doubled over fitting for his breath. She kicked again, but this time he caught her foot in midair and twisted it, sending her flying to the ground with a cry of pain. Sark advanced his eyes boring into hers. He could almost feel the fire in her eyes as she stared into his. Sark smirked, something he did well, and reached down to pull her up. Big mistake.  
Chloe grabbed his hand and pulled him over her, making him land on the cot, which broke and crashed to the floor. Sark forced himself to his feet despite the pain that was coursing through his body. The only other person who had ever given him such a run for his money in a fight had been Sydney Bristow. She had obviously trained her daughter very well. Sark eyed Chloe. She looked very sexy with her chest rising and falling with exertion and sweat dripping down her body. Her lips were parted as she struggled for air, and Sark thought they looked VERY inviting. With his ever-present smirk on his lips, Sark moved closer to Chloe. Her eyes widened as he drew closer, lust in his eyes, and her eyes shifted as she searched for an escape. Sark pounced on her, straddling her waist and leaning down closer to her face.  
  
"Everything alright in here Boss?" Sark looked up, annoyed at the intrusion. Devin looked down at him from where he stood at the open door of the cell.  
  
"I thought I heard a fight going on." Devin continued. Sark knew that he was taking in the scene before him as his eyes shifted from Sark to Chloe then back again.  
  
"Everything's alright Devin," Sark growled, "I was just having a 'discussion' with our guest." He looked down into Chloe's wide and frightened eyes. Her breathing was quick and ragged and a tear slid down her cheek where a bruise was starting to form. Sark stood up and made his way towards the cell door.  
  
"I'll be back Miss Vaughn," he said looking over his shoulder at Chloe who still lay on the floor, her body trembling, "And next time you WILL tell me what I want to know." With that he walked out of the cell and slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
  
  
Yippee, another chapter finished! Please tell me what you thought. And now I'd like to take the time to thank all of you who reviewed, and to answer one of the questions that a reviewer had.  
  
Logan13: A Mary-Sue is a girl that is perfect. She's smart, beautiful, talented, and all around PERFECT. When I said that Chloe would begin to seem Mary-Sueish, I meant that she would kinda seem perfect. Oh yeah, and thanks for pointing out my little mistake with the chlorophyll, I don't know how I made that mistake, but thanks for telling me about it. 


	5. Meanwhile

Chapter Four  
  
Missing! The word rang over and over in Sydney's head. Her daughter was missing. They had received a call earlier from Jill, who had been in hysterics, informing the Vaughns that Chloe was gone. They had called the police immediately, and the police had searched the area around the dormitory. Finding traces of a struggle, the only assumption they could make was Chloe had been abducted. But who would want to kidnap Chloe? Sure Sydney and Michael had made enemies, but would any of them seek such revenge as to kidnap their daughter?  
Tears streamed down Sydney's face, and Vaughn placed a comforting arm around her shoulder, unshed tears in his own eyes.  
  
"It's gonna be okay Syd," He said quietly, as if he didn't believe his own words, "Chloe's going to be okay. Remember, we taught her everything we know. She can handle herself."  
  
"But what if she wasn't ready?" Syd cried into her husband's shoulder, "What if she was too scared to fight back?"  
  
"Hey, this is Chloe you're talking about." Vaughn said with a sad smile, "She never backs down."  
  
"I'm so scared Michael." Sydney looked up into her husband's eyes worriedly, and Vaughn knew she really was scared. Syd rarely ever called him by his first name, the only times being their wedding day and when he had been shot and was in the hospital for a week.  
  
"She's going to be fine Syd." He said tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, "You'll see." He leaned down and placed a comforting kiss on his wife's lips.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Gathering his courage, Vaughn picked up the telephone and dialed. The phone rang and rang, then finally someone picked up.  
  
"Yes?" the gruff voice asked.  
  
"Jack, it's Michael." Vaughn said.  
  
"Is Sydney okay?" Jack asked quickly.  
  
"Well..." Vaughn glanced down at his sleeping wife, "she's doing okay...considering the circumstances."  
  
"What circumstances?" Jack asked gruffly. Vaughn drew a collective breath and closed his eyes to gain control of his emotions.  
  
"Chloe's missing." He said finally.  
  
"WHAT?" Jack cried. Vaughn knew his father-in-law would react like this. He had been close to Chloe. The two of them had fun together, and Vaughn had never seen Jack smile so much as when he was around Chloe.  
  
"She was taken sometime around five this afternoon. The police don't have any leads yet."  
  
"I'm on my way over right now." Jack hung up and Vaughn sat there listening to the dial tone.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The loud and quick knocking on the door woke Sydney from her sleep. She got up groggily and wiped the sleep from her eyes. She padded out to the front door and opened it.  
  
"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked as she looked up at her father. He looked down at her with worried eyes.  
  
"Vaughn told me about Chloe." He said simply, "how are you?"  
  
"I'm...I want her back dad." Sydney cried, tears resurfacing in her eyes and slipping down her face. Jack hugged her tightly and the two of them walked into the house.  
  
"Do you have any idea who would want to take Chloe?" Jack asked once they had settled on the couch.  
  
"No." Sydney shook her head, not at all surprised at how quickly her dad fell back into his role as CIA officer even though he'd been retired for three years.  
  
"Sydney," he said taking her hands in his and staring her straight in the eye, "I need to know every single enemy you and Vaughn might have made in the past few years."  
  
"The police said..."  
  
"Forget what the police said Sydney. You and I both know that this was a revenge job." racking sobs overtook Sydney and she collapsed in her father's arms. He hugged her to him and rubbed her back soothingly. A single, solitary tear slid down Jack's face and fell on Sydney's head.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jack was on a mission. He walked briskly through the CIA office and straight into the office of director Marcus Dixon.  
  
"Jack!" Dixon said seeing the older man walk into his office, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"I need help." Jack said sitting down in front of Dixon's desk, "Chloe's gone and I need clearance to find her."  
  
"You can't just walk back in and expect me to grant you clearance to CONFIDENTAL information." Dixon said, "You have to go through the channels Jack, and you know that."  
  
"It's an emergency Dixon." Jack said, "There haven't been any demands made yet, but I know there will be soon. You children were taking from you once," Jack looked Dixon in the eye, "I helped you then, I ask that you help me now." Dixon sighed and looked down at his desk, unnerved by Jack's intense stare.  
  
"Okay." Dixon said after a long pause, "But after this you are going straight back to retirement."  
  
"Agreed." Jack stuck his hand out and the two men shook on their agreement.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I know it was short, but I didn't want to take a long time on this chapter. I wanted to write just enough so that you all could get a brief look at what was going on at home. Please review and tell me what you thought.  
I decided that I wanted to start responding to the reviews that y'all send me, so from now on at the end of every chapter, I'm going to reply to reviews.  
  
Csk8-20: I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I think that it's cool that you were thinking of writing a story similar to mine but with Sark and Sydney. Please write it and I promise to read it 'cause I'm very interested in how others would write a similar piece.  
  
Logan13: I'm so glad that I could answer your question and I hope that you will feel compelled to ask more as the series progresses. I'm glad that you liked the fight scene, and thank you for the compliment. I wasn't sure if I made it realistic or not, so thanks. 


	6. It's all a game

Chapter Five  
  
It seemed, as if all Chloe had been doing the last couple of hours was cry. She hated it. She hated the feeling of weakness and vulnerability. Chloe wiped her eyes and forced herself off the cot where she had been recuperating from her fight with Sark. Her body ached and her muscles were sore. She groaned as she stood, stretching her arms in an effort to regain mobility.  
She paced the floor of the cell, searching for any way of escape. But there was nothing except the small crack high up on the wall that let a cold breeze blow through every once in awhile.  
  
"You alright?" Chloe turned and saw a tall, well built man with auburn hair standing on the other side of the bars, staring at her with intense golden brown eyes.  
  
"I'm fine." She snapped as she studied the man. He was handsome, that was certain. His eyes bore into her, but they didn't unnerve her like Sark's had. They were more soft, gentle, more human.  
  
"I brought you something to eat." The man said unlocking the cell door, he paused and looked at Chloe with a teasing look, and "Now you're not gonna attack me if I come in there are you?"  
  
"I'm much too sore to do that." Chloe replied rubbing her shoulder. The man came in with a tray in his hands. He placed it atop the cot and turned back to Chloe.  
  
"I'm Devin by the way." He said sticking his hand out. Chloe glared at him and Devin dropped his hand back to his side with a knowing nod. A cold gust blew through the wall and the young woman shivered, drawing her thin jacket tighter around her.  
  
"You must be cold." Devin said taking in her jogging outfit, which offered little protection from the chill, "I'll see if I can't find you another blanket or something."  
  
"Whatever." Chloe said with a shrug, not wanting to take charity from this man, no matter how kind he seemed.  
  
"I'll be back later." He said before turning and leaving. Chloe waited until his footsteps no longer sounded in the corridor before digging into the food that he'd left.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Well," Sark said as Devin entered the small operations room, "did you get any information from her?" Devin shook his head and sat down at the small table that stood in the center of the room.  
  
"She needs warmer blankets and clothes." He said propping his feet up on the table.  
  
"You're getting attached Devin." Sark scolded, "You know the Covenant will want her dead once they get what they want from her."  
  
"What can she know?" the younger man asked, "What information can she have that the Covenant is so eager to get from her?" Sark sighed and shook his head. Devin would never understand. He would never understand that it is better not to question the motives and wishes of the Covenant. He would never understand that the Covenant did what they wanted, when they wanted, and would not hesitate to take your life if you stood in their way. Sark understood this though, and he would do anything he could to stay on the Covenant's good side. It was the only way to ensure that he lived.  
The stoic man stood and walked over to the window. Staring out at the city of abandoned factories and warehouses he felt dead. The warehouses had long been deserted, thus making them the perfect place for Sark to make his base of operations. He had chosen the largest one and made sure that it was made comfortable. But he was careful to make sure that everything could be moved at a moments notice incase the CIA or police came sniffing around.  
There were two floors to the warehouse. The upper level, which sat on top of the ground, housed Sark's men, their weapons, and a small computer lab. The second level was more of a basement then anything. It sat below ground, with a few inches sticking out of the earth. The entrance to the second level was a trap door, which led down a flight of stairs to a room that had three cells, but further along the corridor was a small room. It was one of those rooms that when a prisoner went in, they never came out. Unless they were in a body bag that is. That was the room that Chloe would go into once they had the information they needed.  
Sark always liked those rooms. They gave him power. He could pull a prisoner in there and torture them until they screamed what he wanted to know. Sark always took great pleasure in ending their lives then, torturing them some more. Sending them close to the edge of death, then bringing them back. Over and over again he would do this until he tired of the game. That's all it really was to Sark, a game. Those he tortured and killed were merely players that lost. They were pawns that brought him closer to the win.  
  
"Boss? Sark, are you alright?" Devin's voice broke through Sark's thoughts, bringing him out of his mind.  
  
"I'm fine." Sark snapped, his eyes shooting darts at his partner.  
  
"Okay, whatever you say." The younger man said, "You might want to get the phone though, it's the Covenant." Sark pounced on the phone that sat on the table.  
  
"Yes?" he said into the receiver.  
  
"Mr. Sark," the gravely voice on the other end said, "my employers wish to know what progress you've made."  
  
"Tell them that I've acquired the girl, but she has yet to talk." Sark growled.  
  
"My employers will not be happy with that Mr. Sark." The man said, "You've had the girl in your possession for over fifteen hours. You should have had results by now."  
  
"She was knocked out for five of those hours." Sark tried to defend himself. If this flunky went back to the Covenant and told them that Sark was failing his mission, that might mean the end of the English man's life.  
  
"Very well." The flunky said, "But the Covenant does not wait patiently. I will call again and I want information next time." The dial tone rang in Sark's ear and he threw the phone down with a feral growl. He glared at Devin and turned for the trap door.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"What do you want now?" Chloe asked with annoyance as Sark swung the door to her cell open. Sark grabbed her arm roughly and pushed her up against the hard cement wall. Chloe's bare arm scraped against the harsh surface, scouring the skin and causing a small bit of blood to bubble up. She was frightened by the look in his eyes, but knew better than to show it. Would he try to take advantage of her like he had earlier? Chloe knew that she was in no condition to fight him. Her body still ached and she could barely move her arms.  
  
"I want information." Sark yelled at her. His eyes blazing and his fingers digging deep into her arm.  
  
"Ow, you're hurting me." Chloe said looking down at her arm.  
  
"Oh that's the least of your problems." Sark growled, shoving her harder against the wall. Chloe's head hit the concrete blocks and stars danced before her eyes.  
  
"I know you know something." He said, "Why else would the Covenant want you?"  
  
"The Covenant!" Chloe exclaimed. She knew of the Covenant, her parents had talked about it often when they thought she wasn't around. They were a terrorist group, the worst out there.  
  
"Yes the Covenant." Sark said, his eyes snapping.  
  
"What do they want with me, I'm just a college student." Chloe cried.  
  
"They want information."  
  
"Well I can't tell you what you want to know if I don't know what you want!" Chloe yelled, her anger bubbling like the blood on her arm. She saw Sark's eyes cloud over and it hit her.  
  
"You don't know what they want either, do you?" she said.  
  
"Shut up." he cried throwing her down on the floor. Chloe landed hard and lay there. She tried to gain control of herself, tried to push herself up, but her arms failed her.  
  
"I'll be back." Sark said and kicked her in the gut before leaving. Chloe dragged herself to the cot and rolled herself onto the mattress that lay on the floor due to her earlier fight with Sark. She lay on the hard mattress and let the tears come, soaking the pillow and drowning her in her misery.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Hope you all liked the update and will review.  
  
Csk8-20: I can't wait to read your story, once you get it written that is. Lol. Anyway, I noticed that I didn't answer your earlier question about how old Sark is. That will be answered in a later chapter.  
  
I know how it is trying to get a story transferred from your head to paper. I run into that problem ALL the time. Most of the stuff I write comes to me when I'm sleeping. Funny sounding I know, but it's true. All these different scenes will pop in my dreams and I'll be like 'oh that's cool' and then I'll have to take it from my imagination and try and put it on paper. It's hard, but it's worth it.  
Also, don't worry about getting all your information in order like who's married to who, all the different gadgets and stuff like that. I don't know the gadgets either, I'm just gonna make stuff up as I go. Lol.  
  
Dizzy Izzy, Logan 13, Redrose121, Angels Touch, wicked-sista, and soccerchic1099: Thank you all for reading this story and reviewing. It's people like you that make writing worth it. Keep those reviews coming. 


	7. Interrogation

Chapter Six  
  
"How do you expect me to get results if you won't tell me what it is you want to know?" Sark yelled into the phone that he clutched with white knuckles.  
  
"Mister Sark, you will do well to remember your place." The voice on the other end said in gruff way, "The Covenant has been kind enough to forgive your mistakes so far, do not push your luck."  
  
"Miss Vaughn will not talk. She laughs at me when I try to interrogate her." Sark growled, "I do not like being made a mockery of sir."  
  
"You SHOULD be laughed at Sark if you can't get a girl, fifteen years younger than yourself, to talk." The voice said roughly, "The Covenant will get in touch with you later." With that the voice hung up and Sark slammed the phone down on its cradle.  
He hated being left out, and that's what the Covenant was doing to him. They expected him to get the information they wanted, but they wouldn't even tell him what they wanted to know. How was Sark supposed to find anything out that way?  
Rain pounded on the roof of the warehouse, lightening split the sky, and thunder sounded like a gunshot in the night. Sark looked out over the dark landscape, searching for answers in the bleak sky. He was tired of it all. Tired of running, tired of constantly hiding, tired of being someone's lackey, tired of everything. He rubbed his forehead wearily and let out a heavy sigh. Things weren't going the way he'd planned. Sark hadn't expected Chloe to fight back, hadn't expected her to be so strong willed. She refused to talk to him, even when he threatened her. Nothing worked. Then it hit him. There was one thing he hadn't tried. The room. Sark turned quickly on his heels and went down the trap door.  
  
  
  
A small puddle had formed on the floor where the rain was dripping in. Chloe lay on the hard, thin mattress listening to the steady 'drip, drip' of the rain. Her eyes were heavy, but she refused to go to sleep, afraid of what Sark would do to her if she let her guard down.  
She had seen the lust in his eyes when they had first fought. She knew what he would have done to her had Devin not interrupted. Rubbing her arms slowly, Chloe could remember the heavy weight on her as he had straddled her. The look in his eyes as he leaned closer, ready to capture her lips with his own. The feel of his warm, harsh breath could still be felt on her face. It had all unnerved her. No man had ever acted that way around her.  
Chloe was not unaccustomed to men making advances, but they had never gone so far as to make her fear rape. Sark had been the first to ever scare her. He had been the first to be so bold. Most men she knew knew that Chloe was tough. They knew that she would kick their butts if they ever stepped out of line. But Sark was different. He wasn't scared of her. He showed no fear at all.  
Footsteps sounded on the floor and Chloe looked up at the door to her cell. Sark stood there, staring down at her. His eyes were cold as he stood there, studying her intensely.  
  
"What do you want?" Chloe snapped as he pulled out the key to the door. Three men materialized from behind him and filtered through the now open door.  
  
"Get up." Sark commanded simply.  
  
"Why should I?" Her eyes snapped at him. Unfazed, Sark merely inclined his head towards the men and they grabbed her arms and forced her up.  
  
"Hey let go of me!" Chloe shrieked as they led her out of the cell. She struggled against them, but their combined grips were too much for her. All Chloe could do was trust that they would not harm her, which was easier said than done.  
  
  
  
Sark stalked down the stone corridor with his men escorting Chloe behind him. The wooden door loomed before them, tall and threatening. He pushed the door open and stepped aside so his men could lead the struggling young woman inside.  
  
"Strap her down." He ordered. The men forced Chloe onto the exam room like chair that sat in the middle of the room.  
  
"Now," Sark said sitting down beside her, "you are going to tell me what I want to know."  
  
"Haven't we already had this conversation?" Chloe asked sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Perhaps." Sark replied, "But this time, I'm going to inject you with a truth serum. That way, you have to tell me what I want to know." He reached beside him and picked up a syringe filled with a clear blue liquid.  
  
"You're mental if you think I'm gonna let you stick that thing in me." Chloe snapped, glaring at Sark with piercing eyes.  
  
"Well you see Miss Vaughn, you really don't have a choice." Sark smirked as he met Chloe' gaze full on, determined to show her that he was in charge. He grabbed her arm roughly and yanked her jacket sleeve up. He positioned the needle and plunged it into her pale arm. A surge of giddiness flooded Sark's body as he watched Chloe flinch and heard the small whimper that escaped her trembling lips. A single tear fell down her face and Sark reveled in her pain. Slowly her eyes fell shut and her breathing deepened.  
Watching her carefully, Sark let his eyes drift down her body. She truly was beautiful, and in her prone position he could have his way with her right then and there if he wanted. Shaking his head to clear if of such thoughts, Sark focused his mind on the task at hand.  
  
"What is your name?" he asked the sleeping girl.  
  
"Chloe Sandra Vaughn." Her reply was quiet, but Sark could hear her clearly in the silent room.  
  
"What does the Covenant want with you Miss Vaughn?" Sark asked now that he was sure the serum was working.  
  
"I don't know." Was the reply. The man frowned, this was not good. She'd been telling the truth all along.  
  
"Who are your biological parents?" he asked, deciding to go another way with the questioning.  
  
"Blake Cunningham and Sasha Gogolak." She replied. Sark ran the names through his mind, but he couldn't think of anybody of importance with those names.  
  
"Where are your parents now?"  
  
"Dead."  
  
"Was the Covenant after your parents?"  
  
"No." Sark frowned. He was getting no where with this. He had to think of something, and fast.  
  
"What is your birth name Miss Vaughn?"  
  
"Savannah Marie Gogolak." Yes, a break through!  
  
"Why did you change your name?"  
  
"My mother didn't want me to be found."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because..."  
  
  
  
Hahaha, don't you just love cliffhangers? I know this chapter was short, but who cares. Lol. Please review. Oh yeah, the last name Gogolak came from the movie THE WHOLE NINE YARDS; though I don't know if I spelled it right.  
  
Sam: Thank you SO MUCH for the compliment. I myself don't believe that this is one of the better stories about Syd and Vaughn's kid, but hey who knows. Thank you so much for reviewing.  
  
Csk8-20: I thought I was the only one who was so obsessed about jotting down ideas for my stories. Lol. I carry pen and paper with me everywhere I go. Well, I can't wait to read that story you're going to write, and I'm sure it'll rock!  
  
RedRose121: I'm so glad that you think I'm keeping Sark in character.  
  
Angels Tough: Glad you like the chemistry between Sark and Chloe. I was trying to make it so that people could see they had a connection even though they were denying it, and now it seems as if I've succeeded with that.  
  
Logan13: I'm glad that you like the characterization. I only hope that I don't let Sark get too mushy in later chapters since that would be bad for his rep. Lol.  
  
Dizzy Izzy and Jonie: Thank you for taking the time to read this story. 


	8. Becuase?

Sorry it took so long for this chapter to be posted, but my computer erased the original chapter that I was going to post, so I had to start all over again. I apologize for how long it took and I hope that y'all will like this chapter.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Because why?" Sark asked, irritated that he still hadn't gained the answers he wanted.  
  
"Because they'd kill me." Chloe said in a fearful, childlike whisper.  
  
"Who? Who was going to kill you?" He asked roughly, so close to knowing what he wanted.  
  
"I don't know." She replied.  
  
"You've GOT to know!" Sark cursed, ready to hit something, "Who wanted to kill you?"  
  
"I don't know." Chloe cried, a tear falling down her cheek. Sark cursed loudly and stood. Pacing the floor like a caged animal, Sark case a murderous look at the prone Chloe. Sweat covered her body, an after affect of the serum, and shivers racked her body, an after affect of the cold. Her eyes were closed tightly, as if she was having a nightmare, but couldn't wake up. With a sigh he sat back down, resigned to be more calm.  
  
"You're SURE you don't know who wanted to kill you?" he asked.  
  
"Yes." Sark nodded solemnly and got up. He opened the door and waved his men back in.  
  
"Take her back to her cell." He ordered.  
  
  
  
Her head pounded and her eyelids felt as if they weighed a ton as Chloe tried to open them. She struggled to sit up, but her arms were weak and would not support her. Chloe fell back on the hard mattress with a cry. Her body would not be able to take much more. She pulled her arm up to rest on her forehead and resigned herself to lie helpless.  
Keys clanged, and Chloe could hear somebody coming into the cell. A hand removed her arm from her head and the soft, gentle, cool hand replaced it. The touch cooled her warm skin and settled her racing heart. The hand left and was replaced by a damp cloth. Water dripped down Chloe's forehead into her ears and hair, leaving a cool trail in its wake. She purred contently as she let the water soak into her feverish body. She struggled to open her eyes, to see who was providing her with such loving care, but her eyes refused to open. Opening her mouth to speak, Chloe felt a warm finger rest on her lips.  
  
"Shh," A voice said, "just rest." The voice was familiar, but Chloe could not put her finger on whom it belonged to. It was a comforting sound though, and she basked in the comfort it gave her. A dark cloud covered her mind, preventing further thought as she sunk back into deep, dreamless sleep.  
  
  
  
The sun came out through the clouds, and shone down on the metal roof of the warehouse. Sark stood in front of the window, staring out at nothing. Simply basking in the sun that had barely shown itself in the last couple of days. Could they really have been there three days? It seemed like only yesterday that he had carried Chloe's unconscious body into the warehouse. His mind had been on one thing and one thing only. Gaining the information the Covenant needed from the young woman. He had gained information, but it was knowledge that led nowhere.  
So somebody had been out to kill a young Chloe, what did that have to do with her now? Were they still after her? Was it the Covenant that had wanted her dead all those years ago?  
Sark shook the many questions from his mind. He was already in turmoil; he did not need extra questions adding to it. If he didn't gain what the Covenant wanted to know, and soon, he would be dead before he knew it. He rubbed his forehead wearily. He needed help, he knew that. Sark had never been one to get in over his head. He always requested all the facts of the job before he even considered going through with it. But with the Covenant it was different. They only told you what they thought you should know and left you to figure out the rest, and if you DIDN'T figure it out, they killed you. It was all too much for the English man. He needed a break, badly.  
  
"You're going to kill yourself with all this worrying." Devin commented walking into the room with a tray of food.  
  
"I'm going to BE killed if I don't find out what the Covenant wants." Sark replied harshly, grabbing the wine off of the tray. He slugged back the drink, barely taking time to breathe between gulps.  
  
"Isn't it possible that the Covenant got the wrong person?" Devin asked.  
  
"The Covenant never 'gets the wrong person.'" Sark replied, "Miss Vaughn knows something. It's my job to figure out what." He placed the wineglass down and left the room.  
  
  
  
A shiver ran down her spine as Chloe forced her eyes open. The cell was cold, but she felt as if her body was on fire. Sweat covered her, making her arms and legs stick to the mattress. She struggled to sit up, but a sharp pain flew through her arms and she fell back with a whimper. Tears pricked at her eyes and Chloe held back a cry of pain. She turned her head to the side as she heard the door open to her cell. Devin walked in with a tray in his hands.  
  
"I thought you might want something to drink." He said softly, seeming to know how her head pained her, "Truth serum can have quite a nasty after affect." He gently propped her up and held a glass of cold water to her lips. Chloe swallowed it greedily, the cool liquid feeling like silk on her dry throat.  
  
"Thank you." she whispered weakly.  
  
"Not a problem." He replied with a small smile.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" Chloe said looking into his eyes.  
  
"Sure."  
  
"Why do you work for that scumbag."  
  
"That 'scumbag,' as you so eloquently named him," Devin replied with a smirk, "just so happens to be one of my oldest friends. We grew up together then my family moved to America and we lost contact. He found me a couple years ago and we've been working together ever since."  
  
"But he's a jerk." Chloe argued feebly.  
  
"Julian can be a jerk at times, but it's only because of how life has treated him. You know he never knew his father. His dad bailed on him when he was just a baby, and his mother was a crack addict. He was raised by his older sister who died when he was fifteen."  
  
"Doesn't give him any reason to treat people like he does." She scoffed.  
  
"Julian had to become unemotional if he was going to survive the streets."  
  
"I still don't like him."  
  
"You don't have to." Devin chuckled lightly as he stood; "I should go and let you rest."  
  
"Bye Devin." Chloe whispered as her eyes suddenly became weighted down.  
  
"Night Chloe."  
  
  
  
Sorry this chapter was so short, but I kinda have a little case of writer's block, so you'll have to forgive me.  
  
Csk8-20: Glad you liked the cliffhanger. I hope you get your story out soon, I can't wait to read it.  
  
Tentoesupurnose16: I'm so glad that you think this is the best story, I'm my own worst critic and can never tell if I'm doing a good job at this story. Your review means a lot, thank you.  
  
Dizzy izzy: NO! Not the evil froggy keychain of doom! Lol. Well I hoped you liked the update you were so desperate for.  
  
Eyghon: I'm always glad to have a new reviewer, thanks for reading.  
  
Sallene: Aren't we ALL Sarkney lovers deep down? After all, Sark has that air of danger that Vaughn just does not possess. Always glad for new reader, thanks.  
  
Soccerchic1099, RedRose121, and Anglus Love: Thanks for the reviews. 


	9. On the run

Chapter Eight  
  
Jack looked through the files that littered his desk. There were hundreds of folders; each one covering a case that Sydney or Vaughn had been involved in. There were too many people that would want revenge on the couple to pick out just one culprit.  
  
'_Maybe that's the problem_.' He thought to himself, '_I'm trying to pick out only one. Perhaps it's a network of people.'_ He went back over each file, picking out the ones that had similar missions or connections between certain organizations. When he was done, three piles lay before him. The first pile was filled with deadends, the second with possible connections, and the third held all cases that had to do with Rambaldi.  
  
_'That's got to be it.'_ he thought, '_Why is it that everything comes back to Rambaldi?'_ He glanced over the third pile one more time and one name seemed to stand out to him, the Covenant.  
  
  
  
"We're not happy with your work Mr. Sark." The elderly gentleman said.  
  
"You haven't given me enough to go on." Sark replied gruffly, his hand strangling the phone that he held.  
  
"We gave you what we believed you needed." The man said, "It was your job to extract the information from Miss Vaughn."  
  
"I can't 'extract the information' if you won't tell me what you need." Sark cried, pounding the table with his fist.  
  
"Temper Mr. Sark." The man chastised him; "The Covenant has come to a decision."  
  
"And what's that?" Sark asked, frightened by what the outcome of their decision would be.  
  
"We are sending over one of our best agents to check on your operation." The older man replied, "He will report back to us and we will then discuss what can be done about Miss Vaughn."  
  
"I don't need one of your agents looking over my shoulder." Sark said angrily.  
  
"Our decision is final Mr. Sark, our agent will be there later this evening." With that the man hung up. Sark jumped into action immediately.  
  
"DEVIN!" he yelled. Devin came running into the room.  
  
"What's up Boss?" he asked.  
  
"Tell the men to start extracting whatever they need from this place. Pay them what their owed and then let them leave. The Covenant is sending an agent over, and you know what that means."  
  
"What about Ch...Miss Vaughn?" Devin asked.  
  
"I'll take care of her." Sark said.  
  
  
  
Chloe lay on the mattress humming quietly to herself in an attempt to make time pass quicker. She rubbed the bruise on her arm from where Sark had stuck her with the needle, and a shiver ran down her spine as she remembered the look in his eyes as he had done it. The man had no emotions, no feelings of any kind. He was a heartless man who gained pleasure from other people's pain.  
The young woman groaned as she heard the familiar steps coming down the hall. She was not in the mood for another sparring match, physical or verbal. Chloe refused to look at him as he walked into the cell and stood over her.  
  
"Get up." he said, roughly grabbing her arm.  
  
"Why?" She barked at him, wrenching her arm from his grasp, "You know I am _so_ sick and tired of this whole caveman act."  
  
"Just shut up and come with me." Sark said, pulling Chloe off the mattress, "We have to get out of here."  
  
"What?" she asked startled as she stumbled along behind him.  
  
"We have to go NOW." He said leading her up the stairs and through the trapdoor. The light hit Chloe's eyes full force and she winced at the sudden brightness. "The Covenant is sending someone to check on my progress and that can only mean one thing, they're gonna kill us." Sark continued.  
  
"Wait." Chloe stopped mid-step, "you mean that the Covenant is gonna kill you?"  
  
"Yes, and if they kill me, they're gonna take you into custody and once they get what they want, they're gonna kill you too. If you want to live then you have to come with me NOW." Sark said roughly. Chloe stood there silently, processing what he had said.  
  
"Sounds good to me." She said after a pause, and followed him once again. They met Devin behind the warehouse and climbed into the van that he had running. Sark pushed her into the back where a handful of guns and surveillance equipment was stored.  
  
"Drive." Sark ordered as he climbed into the front passenger's seat.  
  
"Where to?" Devin asked as he started out towards the road.  
  
"The safe house." Sark said. Chloe looked up at the two men from where she sat, scared of what was going to happen to her. Right then all she wanted was to go home and cry into her mother's arms. She'd always wanted to have an adventure, much like her parents always had, but this was just too much for her and Chloe didn't want anymore of it.  
  
"Where are we going?" she asked, trying to look out of the back windows.  
  
"Somewhere where we can figure out what to do with you." Sark said looking over his shoulder at her. He seemed to be able to read the fear that was running through her, "Don't worry," he continued, "we're not gonna hurt you."  
  
"Yeah, like I believe that." She scoffed. Sark looked back at her again and Chloe felt his eyes reading her, piercing her soul with their intensity. She looked away from him, afraid that if she allowed him to look at her anymore, that he would be able to read her innermost thoughts.  
  
"Just relax." He said, "It's gonna be a long ride."  
  
  
  
It was a short chapter I know, but I'm still trying to get over my writer's block. Please tell me what you thought of this chapter, and remember to be honest.  
  
Csk8-20: I'm glad you liked the chapter. Don't worry, some 'Sarky lovin' is coming in later chapters. And as for Devin, well he has his reasons for getting close to Chloe. But don't worry, he won't be stepping on Sark's toes when it comes to getting the girl.  
  
CIAcutie, soccerchic1099, hannahbanana, and RedRose121: Thank you all for reading this story and taking the time to review. 


	10. Safe House

Chapter Nine  
  
It was dark when the van finally came to a stop. Chloe's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, slightly confused. The gentle rocking of the van as it bumped along the road, coupled with the quietness inside the vehicle had lulled her to sleep about two hours into the drive. Now she sat up and looked about her.  
Sark and Devin sat up front, talking quietly to each other.  
  
"Do you think they'll come after her?" Devin asked in a whisper.  
  
"Of course they will," Sark replied, "the Covenant does not take their losses lightly."  
  
"How are we gonna keep her hidden?"  
  
"I don't know," Sark shook his head, "All we can hope is that we can gather the information they want before they find us."  
  
"How are we gonna do that?" Sark glanced over his shoulder and saw Chloe watching them.  
  
"It's about time you woke up," he said without answering Devin's question. He opened his door and got out then opened Chloe's door. "Come on," he said, "Devin's got to get rid of the van before the Covenant can track us." He offered his hand to her and she looked at it like it was a viper about to strike her. She stood slowly, bending over so that she wouldn't hit her head on the roof of the van, and climbed out. Her knees buckled beneath her and Chloe started to fall. Sark caught her quickly and she felt a shock run through her body as he arms slid around her waist to steady her.  
  
"I can stand on my own." She said, pushing his arm off of her once she had regained her balance. Sark pulled away and walked over to the open passenger's side window.  
  
"Drive around the drop off point a couple times, just to make sure you lose anybody who's tailing you, then come back once you've destroyed the van." He said.  
  
"You got it." Devin replied. Chloe could feel Devin watching her, she looked over at him and he waved to her before driving off. Then there she was, alone with Sark.  
Chloe had been alone with him before, but there had always been the knowledge that someone else was close by just in case things got...out of hand. But now there was no one else. It was just her and Sark, all alone in a safe house. Sark led her inside the safe house, which was more of an apartment than anything.  
There was a small kitchen/dining room and a little living room branching off of the kitchen. There was one bedroom and one cramped bathroom. Chloe shuddered as she looked around. It was so small inside that she could barely put enough space between her and Sark, who was casting an unnerving glance her way. He was standing near the bedroom and Chloe could just imagine what he could do to her in her weakened state. She shivered again, knowing that her clothing offered her little protection from his prying eyes. Her eyes widened as he slowly advanced on her, his eyes sweeping her body.  
  
"Here," he said shoving a blanket towards her, "the heating isn't working this should keep you warm. You can take a shower if you want, there's some clothes in the bedroom if you want to change."  
  
"Thank you." Chloe mumbled as she took the blanket from him and headed towards the bedroom.  
There was a small closet inside the room and she made her way towards it, making sure not to get too close to the bed, just in case Sark decided to come in as well. She opened the closet and surveyed the clothing with a critical eye. It was all designer clothing! Chloe was somewhat reluctant to put any of it on. She slowly reached out for a pair of jeans and a red tank top and black blouse. She made her way from the bedroom to the bathroom. After locking the door behind her, Chloe stripped out of her jogging outfit that was now stained with dirt, sweat, and bits of dried blood, and climbed into the steaming shower.  
The hot water scorched her skin and massaged her aching muscles. It felt so good to have the kinks worked out of her back and shoulders. Chloe wished that she could stay in the shower forever, but she knew that sooner or later Sark would want to get in there, and she didn't want to be in the shower when he decided to come in. She got out and dried off quickly before pulling on the clothes. It was heaven to wear clean clothing. Chloe found a brush on top of the sink and pulled it slowly through her wet, tangled hair. Feeling refreshed and ready to face anything, Chloe opened the door and walked into the living room.  
  
  
  
Falling down on the sofa, Sark propped his feet up on the coffee table and waited for Chloe to finish in the bathroom. Steam floated out from under the door and he hoped she wasn't using all of the hot water. After what seemed like forever, the door finally opened and Chloe emerged. She wore a pair of faded jeans that hugged her lean waist and accentuated her hips. The tank top she wore had a plunging neckline that revealed a good amount of cleavage. The blouse she wore over the tank top hung open and showed an expanse of bare stomach that was not covered by the other top.  
Sark's eyes traveled over her body slowly, taking in every inch of exposed skin. He could see Chloe tense and smirked at the power he had over her. He rose from the couch slowly and stalked towards her like a predator about to pounce on his cornered prey. Her breathing became heavier and more urgent, as if she could read what was going on in his mind. He had no doubt that even the most dense person could read his mind right then, the lust in his eyes was evident.  
Chloe backed up as Sark drew closer. He advanced on her, and Chloe's eyes sought any possible escape. Finally, he had her backed against the wall. Sark reached out and slowly ran his hand up her arm and over her neck, stopping to feel the pulse that was pounding there. Chloe inhaled sharply, and Sark could feel the fear in her.  
  
"Take your hand off me." Chloe said. Though she sounded strong and fearless, Sark knew that she was trembling inside. Her hands were shaking slightly and he could see the sweat beading on her forehead.  
  
"You don't mean that." Sark said, looking her straight in the eye. Chloe quickly looked away from his gaze and Sark reveled over the affect he had on her as she tried so hard not to meet his eyes. He let his hand travel up to touch her face gently. Chloe gasped and tried to pull away from his touch. Sark grabbed her arm and held her there.  
  
"Please just let me go." She begged him, her voice wavering slightly.  
  
"I don't think so." Sark replied simply, inching closer to the frightened young woman.  
  
  
  
He had her cornered, and Chloe hated being cornered. She hated the feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. With a surge of courage and strength, Chloe placed her hands against Sark's chest and tried to push him away. However, his rock solid chest wasn't the only thing that was steardy about him. He simply stood there with a detestable smirk on his face. Chloe wanted to smack him, but she knew that would only make him more excited. Sark was the type of man to feed off violence, and Chloe would not add to his addiction.  
She could feel him leaning in, his body pressing closer to hers. Chloe now regretted picking out this outfit. Perhaps if she had gone with something a little less revealing Sark would not have advanced so soon. Perhaps he would have given her a little more time to become accustomed to being alone with him before pouncing on her. But no matter how she ran it through her mind, Chloe knew that the outfit hadn't had an affect on him. Sark did what he wanted to, and it didn't matter if she was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and her comfy pants or sexy lingerie. He would still be looking at her like a piece of meat he was about to devour.  
Sark's body pressed hers against the wall. His breath felt warm on her face and Chloe could just feel the lust radiating off him. A shudder ran down her spine as he inched closer, his mouth mere centimeters from her own. Chloe's lips parted instinctively, awaiting the feel of his mouth on hers. Her eyes closed, whether in fright or anticipation she didn't know.  
  
"Van's destroyed Boss." Devin's voice broke through the fog that had settled over Chloe's brain, "And I don't think I was follo..." Devin stopped talking and Chloe opened her eyes to see him staring at her and Sark. Their position would seem like that of a lovers' embrace if somebody was looking through a window and watching them. Sark glanced over his shoulder at Devin and Chloe took the opportunity to push him away from her and flee to the bedroom where she locked the door behind her.  
  
  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" Devin said after Chloe ran into the bedroom.  
  
"I don't need to explain myself to you Devin." Sark said gruffly, "I can do what I please."  
  
"But she's our prisoner!" His friend cried, "And what did you tell me about getting attached?"  
  
"I'm not attached to her, simply attracted." Sark replied, "It's not a crime to kiss a woman."  
  
"You can't treat Chloe like this Julian!"  
  
"Oh so she's Chloe now," Sark gave his companion a knowing look.  
  
"No," Devin tried to defend himself, "Wait, I thought we were talking about your unprofessionalism?"  
  
"We were." Sark said with a shrug, "but not anymore." Devin seethed slightly and marched past Sark and into the bathroom. Sark shrugged nonchalantly and sat back down on the couch.  
  
  
  
Well there you go guys, yet another chapter done. I'm finally over my writer's block, for now at least. I probably won't be updating for a while because my family and I are going to Pennsylvania for my grandparents' anniversary. So I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter since it will probably be at least a week before I update again.  
  
Csk8-20: I'm glad you liked the details. Often times I wonder if I'm doing a good job detailing, and you made me sure that I was doing fine.  
  
Natalie: There you go, there's Sark's move. I hope you liked it.  
  
Somewhere Outthere: Sorry, but Chloe has no connection to Rambaldi. I simply put his name in there for reasons which will present themselves later in the story.  
  
Spymantha: Yes, a change in scenery always gets the creative juices flowing.  
  
RedRose121: I'm so happy that you enjoy my story that much. I hope this chapter had enough "Sark lovin'" in it for ya.  
  
Blondw/smelborp, soccerchic1099, and Katherine: Thank you for reviewing. 


	11. The morning after

Chapter Ten  
  
She was tired, sick and tired of everything. Chloe could care less about what was going on outside the bedroom that she'd locked herself in, all she wanted was to bury her head in her mother's shoulder and cry. Chloe had always been close to Sydney, they were so much alike that it was scary. They were more like friends than mother and daughter. Now she needed a mother more than anything. A comforting shoulder to lean on and soothing voice to wipe away all the hurt of the past week.  
Yes, she had been held captive by Sark for a whole week. But no matter how long she had been trapped in a cell, sleeping on a hard, thin mattress, it was not as bad what had happened only a minute earlier. Thank goodness Devin had walked in when he did. Chloe wasn't sure, no she WAS sure what would have happened had he not come back. The feel of Sark's hard body pressing hers against the wall was still fresh in Chloe's mind. She couldn't forget the way her skin had burned as his hand had caressed her neck.  
She shuddered at the memory and closed her eyes tightly to block out the recollection. Chloe sought the comfort she needed by burying her face in the soft feather pillow that lay on the bed. Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she dreamed of home and her parents.  
  
  
  
Shifting on the couch so as to find a more comfortable position, Sark thought back to earlier that evening. Chloe's skin had been so soft, so pale and silky smooth. Her pulse had thundered beneath his finger. It was all he could do not to crush her to the wall at that moment and rip the revealing tank top right off of her. He didn't know why he hadn't, all he knew was he couldn't. He couldn't tarnish the rare innocence that Chloe had.  
Sark sat up, wide-awake from surprise. That had to be the first time he'd ever thought enough about another's feelings to have some sense of self-control. It almost seemed as if he...cared. He couldn't care. Sark only cared about one person and one person only, himself. So why, all of a sudden, did he care about someone else's feelings? There had to be something wrong with him that was the only answer.  
He lay back down and stared up at the ceiling. Shadows danced in front of his eyes. They stretched across the ceiling like fingers reaching for something that was just out of their reach. Sark watched them tangle with each other, thinking of how much those shadows resembled his life. He had always had a plan, always stayed on the good side of those he worked for. But now, now his life was a tangled mess. Chloe had made everything a jumble. She was supposed to be a girl that was easy to manipulate, a girl who would cave under the pressure Sark applied to her. But she wasn't. She was strong and resisted his interrogational techniques as if she'd been trained to.  
That got the English man thinking. What was the mystery behind Chloe? Why did the Covenant want her so badly? What did she have that they wanted? What information did she hold within her?  
Shaking the thoughts from his head, Sark closed his eyes and sought out the sleep that eluded him.  
  
  
  
Warm sunlight streamed in through the window and sent beams across the bed where Chloe lay curled up beneath the covers. She whimpered softly, not wanting to wake from the dream that she was having. It was one of those dreams that were so real that you could feel everything, and right then she could feel Sydney's arms around her, comforting her. Her eyes opened slowly and the dream was broken. The feeling of her mother's arms vanished and Chloe was returned to the harsh reality that was her life.  
There was a loud knock on the door. Chloe sat up slowly, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Who could be knocking on the door so early in the morning? She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and saw that it read nine o'clock in the morning.  
  
"Guess it's not as early as I thought." She whispered to herself. There was another knock, this one more harsh and aggravated than the first.  
  
"What?" she yelled, angry at whomever it was that was disturbing her.  
  
"Get out of bed now." Sark's voice yelled through the door, "We've got work to do."  
  
"Yes sir." Chloe called back sarcastically. She threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood reluctantly. Walking over to the closet, she studied the clothing inside and pulled out a long jean skirt.  
  
"No," she thought, "better not give him an easy time of it if he does decide to finish what he started last night." She put the skirt back and finally decided on a faded pair of jeans and a sky blue turtleneck. Opening the door slowly, Chloe peeked her head out and made sure that the living room was clear. Seeing that Sark was nowhere around, she slipped out and hurried into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. Refreshed and slightly more awake, Chloe emerged from the bathroom and made her way to the kitchen. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Devin was there, quietly sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.  
  
"Morning Devin." She said with a small smile. He looked up and nodded his head in recognition. Chloe's smile faltered and she looked at Devin to see what was wrong with him. Usually he would great her in the same carefree manner that he always had, but this morning was different, why?  
  
"Finally you're awake." Sark said entering the kitchen from behind her. Chloe stood still, ignoring Sark as if he was just a fly on the wall. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table beside Devin.  
  
"Well," he said, "aren't you going to sit down and eat something?" without a word, Chloe marched over to the counter where the coffee sat. She was careful to keep distance between herself and Sark. He watched her carefully, his eyes never leaving her and Chloe shivered as she turned her back on him to pour the coffee. She didn't have to guess which part of her body he was staring at. She turned back around quickly and his eyes caught hers. She felt as if she were drowning beneath the icy depths of his stare. Her throat closed up on her and she was scared of what was going on behind his composed gaze. She quickly left the kitchen, not caring if, in her haste, her leg brushed up against his. A shock wave ran through her body, hastening her steps.  
Finally, she was free of him. Falling down on the couch, Chloe breathed easier and took a drink of her coffee to calm her nerves. Her hands trembled and the dark liquid sloshed around in the mug. Tightly she closed her eyes and took three deep breathes to calm herself. She could _not_ show Sark that he had power over her. Someone came out of the kitchen. Chloe opened her eyes and looked up at Devin.  
  
"Sark wants you in the kitchen," he said roughly, "we've got things to go over." Chloe nodded solemnly while her mind screamed at her not to get off the couch. She stood and followed him into the small kitchen. Sark looked up from the paper and then at an empty chair. Chloe took the hint and sat down. Crossing her arms in front of her chest, she tried to appear defiant. Sark smirked and she knew that she had failed to intimidate him.  
  
"Isn't it a beautiful morning?" Sark asked.  
  
"Cut the crap Sark," Chloe barked at him, "what do you want?" His eyebrows rose slightly at her tone, but he seemed unfazed by it all.  
  
"We need to discuss the issue of what I'm going to do with you." he said.  
  
"Oh really, well I have an idea," she said, "You can let me go."  
  
"No." Sark shook his head, "The Covenant wants something from you, so, I'm going to find out what it is."  
  
"Haven't we been down this road before?" she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yes, yes we have, but this time I will get results."  
  
"Oh I'm so scared." Chloe's sarcasm was simply a front. She really was scared. She didn't know how many more attacks she could take from Sark before she broke down.  
  
"There's no need to be scared." Sark replied in a tone that told her there was every reason to be scared.  
  
"What are you going to do to me?" Chloe asked, her tone calm, but her eyes nervous. Sark simply smirked in reply.  
  
  
  
Dun dun dun. Don't you wish you knew what Sark was gonna do? Lol. I love writing cliffhangers and making you all guess at what's going to happen next. I hope that you all liked this chapter, even though it wasn't one of my best, and I hope that y'all will review.  
  
Sallene: Yes, Sark is becoming attached isn't he? Don't worry though, he will learn how much he cares about Chloe soon enough, and she'll fall for his charms before too long.  
  
Dferveiro: I'm glad you like this story. I always like having new reviewers, so thanks for reviewing.  
  
Serindipity9: Nope, sorry but this is purely a Sark and Chloe romance. Thanks for the idea though.  
  
Csk8-20: Thanks so much for reviewing. You are one of my loyalist readers and I appreciate that. Your reviews always make me smile.  
  
Fangy: I love having new reviewers. As of right now I haven't _quite_ decided what Chloe's secret is, but I have a few ideas going through my head.  
  
Katherine: Glad you liked the tension. Yes, Chloe might just come between the two friends before this story is finished.  
  
Natalie: I know you didn't ask for near rape, but that's how I perceived Sark's actions to be like. Sorry if I offended you or anybody else.  
  
RedRose121: Realisticness is what I was shooting for, so thanks for that review.  
  
Tentoesupurnose16: Thank you for reviewing. 


	12. A small bit of hope

I am SO sorry y'all for not updating this in so long. I've been so intent on getting the next chapter out on Desert Mirage and starting my new fic The Sea Calls My Name, which is a Summerland fic, that I've neglected this story. I apologize for that.  
Also, this chapter is dedicated to Eyghon, who asked to see more with Syd and Vaughn, and also dferveiro, who gave me the idea for the end of this chapter and the whole next chapter. Well, I hope you enjoy.  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Rain streamed down the window where Sydney's face was illuminated by the lightening that split the sky in half. Tears ran down her face and she wiped them away with a trembling hand. It had been a week and they were no closer to finding Chloe than they had been when she first went missing.  
Sadly, Sydney turned away from the window and tried to focus on the work that was spread out over the coffee table. Michael had brought some paperwork home with him so that Sydney could keep her mind focused on something. Already, Sydney had missed five days of work, but Dixon was allowing her those days. He knew what it was like for a parent when their child went missing.  
The front door opened and Vaughn came in, rain dripping from his clothes. He shook his head and a flurry of water rained down on the wood floor. He removed his coat and set the umbrella up against the wall.  
  
"Hey," he said, kissing his wife on the cheek, "how are you doing?"  
  
"I don't know Michael," Sydney said shaking her head. Vaughn wrapped her in a comforting hug and kissed the top of her head.  
  
"It's gonna be all right." He whispered, "It's gonna be all right."  
  
"How can you be sure?" she asked, her voice trembling and fresh tears falling from her face.  
  
"I'm not," Vaughn said, "but I just feel that she's okay."  
  
"I wish I could be as certain as you." Sydney buried her face in her husband's shoulder.  
  
  
  
Jack didn't care that the pounding rain was soaking through his clothing. He didn't care that the wind was whipping around him, sending chills down his spine. He walked steadily up the walkway to the Vaughns' front door and knocked. His briefcase was clutched tightly in his hand, the files dry and safe inside. The door opened with a creak and Vaughn stood looking at him.  
  
"Jack," he said, slightly surprised to see his father-in-law standing outside in the rain, "please come in." he stepped aside and Jack entered the front foyer. The older man shed his rain soaked coat and handed it to Vaughn, who hung it up. "What are you doing here?" Vaughn asked.  
  
"I need to speak with you and Sydney." Jack said calmly, though on the inside he was bursting at the seams to tell them what he had learned.  
  
"Of course," Vaughn replied, "Sydney's in the living room." He led Jack into the living room where Sydney sat staring blankly at the TV show that was on.  
  
"Dad," Sydney said, snapping out of her trance, "What are you doing here?" Jack sat down on the couch beside his daughter and placed his briefcase on the coffee table in front of them.  
  
"I think I know who took Chloe." Jack said.  
  
"You do?" Syd cried, her face immediately brightening.  
  
"I said I think," he said, not wanting Sydney to get her hopes up as she often did. He opened the briefcase and pulled out the files that he had taken from the CIA office.  
  
"Dad, you didn't steal those, did you?" His daughter asked suspiciously.  
  
"No I didn't," Jack replied, "Dixon granted me clearance to investigate Chloe's disappearance."  
  
"Oh," Sydney relaxed visibly and sank back into the couch, eager to hear what her father had found out.  
  
"Sydney, Vaughn," Jack said looking at the couple, "I've been looking through all the cases that you've both worked in the last few years to see if there was something there that could give us a clue as to who took Chloe." Jack paused and debated how to phrase what he had to tell them. Never one to beat around the bush, he decided to just tell them. "I think the Covenant took Chloe." Sydney gasped and her face drained of color. Though his reaction was less noticeable than his wife's was, Jack could see Vaughn's body go rigid and his jaw clench.  
  
"But why? What could they possibly what with her?" Sydney asked as fresh tears began to prick at her eyes.  
  
"I still don't know that." Jack said, "But I'm pretty sure that it _was_ the Covenant that took her."  
  
"I can't believe this," Syd cried looking up at her husband; Vaughn immediately knelt down beside her and held her tenderly. Her sobs were muffled by his shoulder, but they resounded in the room loudly. Jack almost regretted coming to tell them, but he knew that they had to know. He knew that Sydney needed information; she needed some kind of hope, no matter how small, to cling to. And that's what it was that Jack had brought them. Hope. Hope that they were just a little bit closer to finding Chloe.  
He stood silently and left the couple to comfort each other.  
  
  
  
A bright light blinded Chloe and she closed her eyes tightly in an attempt to block the light out. She could hear Sark and Devin moving around in the room, but she could not open her eyes to see what they were doing.  
  
"If this is going to work, you have to open your eyes." Sark said, a trace of laughter in his voice.  
  
"And go blind!" Chloe said, "Are you stupid or something? Oh wait, don't answer that."  
  
"Funny Miss Vaughn," Sark replied unamused, "now open your eyes." Chloe did so reluctantly, and was somewhat relieved to see Sark standing in front of her, blocking the light. He held a gold pocket-watch in his hand. The light played off it gently, sending bits of light across Chloe's face.  
  
"Now relax," Sark ordered.  
  
"Oh yeah, like _that's_ gonna be easy," she scoffed lightly. Sark scowled. "Alright, alright, I'm relaxing. Don't get your boxers in a bunch." She said taking in a deep breath and forcing her thundering heart to slow. Sark held the watch up so it was at eye level and swung it gently. Chloe cleared her mind of all thought and focused only on the watch and Sark's voice, which flowed over her like a gently crashing wave.  
  
"I want you to focus Chloe, focus on your past. Focus on what happened when you were little." Chloe felt herself drifting off lazily, as if a cloud bore her away from the room. Her eyes became heavy and she felt sleepy. Slowly her eyes closed and she listened to Sark as he spoke softly, commanding her to focus on her mother and her past.  
  
  
  
Well, I hope you liked it. I know it was kinda short, but I will try to make the next one longer since it will be pretty important to the story. We will finally get to learn about Chloe's past and what the Covenant wants from her, or will we? Lol. I hope y'all will review and tell me what you thought.

Beautiful Tragedy: I'm glad you enjoy this story. And I totally am with you on the whole Sark being a guilty pleasure thing. He is _so_ hot.

csk8-20: I understand what you're saying 'cause I both hate and love cliffhangers as well.

Natalie: I think I'll use your suggestion later on in the series. Thanks for the idea.

Sallene: Devin backed off yes, but he'll make a move soon enough. Yeah I liked Sark's thoughts too. I decided to make him seem a little more human so that my readers could begin to connect with him.

Tentoesupurnose16: Oh you're so sweet. Devin is going to come into play later and then you'll see what's going on with him.

Eyghon: Thanks for the idea and for reading this story.

Zeriae: Yes, he probably would have more control, but this is how I percieve Sark to be. The age difference just popped into my head and so I decided to write it down.

Nicholette: No, nobody knows what the Covenant wants.

Sarks-Girl-89, Kim, Wicked-sista, soccerchic1099, RedRose121, and dferveiro: Thank you all for reviewing.


	13. Memories

Alright y'all, here is the anticipated chapter. Here we learn what the Covenant wants and see Sark and Chloe grow closer. So, without further ado, chapter twelve of Connected.  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
_ Five-year-old Savannah Gogolack pushed back the dingy curtain of the dirty window. She gazed longingly at the children who ran about the old, rickety park, playing games of tag and hide-n-seek. How she dreamed she could be one of those children who ran about without a care, instead of being cooped up in the small apartment that she was locked in.  
  
"Savannah," her mother cried, pulling her daughter away from the window, "what have I told you about going near the window?" The young girl shook at the harsh sound of her mother's voice.  
  
"I just wanted to see the other kids." She whimpered, large tears falling down her small, cherubic face. Sasha Gogolack smiled lightly at her young daughter, hoping to stop her from crying.  
  
"It's okay sweetie," she said pulling her daughter to her and rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back, "Mommy didn't mean to get mad. I'm just worried that's all."  
  
"Why do we have to hide mommy?" Savannah asked innocently, her big eyes staring up at her mother in question.  
  
"Because..." Sasha paused, unsure what to tell her daughter, "because if somebody sees you then big bad men will come and take you away from me." she said after a pause.  
  
"Why?" The little girl repeated. Sasha was quickly growing weary of the questions.  
  
"Just because," she snapped at her daughter, "so stop asking questions and just do as I say." The tears came once again to Savannah's eyes and she fled from her mother's arms and ran into the small bedroom that the two of them shared.  
She clutched her teddy bear to her, a large, overstuffed thing with a torn ear and missing eye. The bear was Savannah's lifeline. What she clung to when she needed to escape the troubles laid upon a five year old. Her tears fell atop the bear's head, and his soft "fur" absorbed every drop.  
  
"Why does mommy have to be so mean Julian?" she asked the bear. She waited for him to answer her, but like always, he remained silent, staring at her with his one eye. "You're right," she said, as if the bear had spoken, "she needs a hug." She gathered the bear in her arms and walked slowly out to the living room.  
  
_  
  
Chloe came out of the hypnosis sleepily, her mind slowly releasing itself from the fog that surrounded it.  
  
"Well?" Sark asked, his face filled with anticipation.  
  
"Sorry," Chloe replied shaking her head, "I didn't find anything."  
  
"Damn it," Sark cursed, pounding his fist down on the table that he sat at. Chloe flinched as his fist continued to beat on the metal surface, causing an empty ringing to fill the room. "We're just gonna have to try again." He said sliding off the table in an undignified motion. He grabbed the watch and walked back over to Chloe.  
  
  
  
_"Happy birthday to you." Sasha's voice rang through the apartment. She smiled down at Savannah as she blew out the seven candles on her birthday cake. "Yeah," she said, clapping as all the candles were extinguished by her daughter. "Good job Savannah." The young girl beamed beneath her mother's praise and adjusted the hat atop her bear's head.  
  
"What piece do you want Julian?" she asked the bear with childlike innocence. She leaned close, as if to hear what the bear was saying. "Julian says he wants that piece with the flower on it." she looked up at her mother who laughed lightly at her daughter's gapped tooth grin.  
  
"Then Julian will get what he wants." Sasha replied ruffling her daughter's hair before cutting into the small cake. Savannah grinned and hugged the bear closer to her, seeking comfort in the feel of its soft body. The young girl bit into the cake, a crumb falling from the fork and landing on the bear.  
  
"Oops," Savannah grinned, "sorry Julian." She brushed the crumb from his head carefully and kissed the top of his head. "There," she said, "all better."  
Her cake gone, Savannah reached for her glass of milk. In a moment of rare clumsiness, the cup tipped and the milk spilled all over the table, the majority of it landing on her bear.  
  
"Oh no!" Sasha cried, hurriedly picking the bear up and trying to dry him off, "How can you be so clumsy?" she yelled at Savannah. As tears flooded the girl's eyes, Sasha hurried into the kitchen to grab more towels and tried desperately to dry the bear off. "Stupid girl." She seethed, glaring at Savannah with a rare show of distaste. The small, distraught girl simply sat there, taking the verbal abuse that her mother so rarely bestowed upon her.  
Finally, Sasha seemed content that Julian was as dry as he would be and she placed him back in Savannah's lap and quickly pulled her daughter into a tight embrace.  
  
"I'm sorry Savannah." She whispered in her daughter's ear, "You know Mommy gets upset sometimes. I really am sorry. Can you forgive me?" The pleading in her mother's voice tore at Savannah's heart.  
  
"I forgive you Mommy," she said, tightening her grip around her mother's neck.  
  
"Thank you." Sasha planted a quick kiss on Savannah's soft, pale cheek.  
  
_  
  
"Please tell me you saw SOMETHING?" Sark begged Chloe when her eyes opened once again. Chloe simply shook her head. She sighed and leaned her head back on the chair, wishing that something, some answer would present itself to her.  
  
"I don't understand it." she whispered, "why can't I find anything?" she looked to Sark for help, but he would not look at her. He was too involved with his own thoughts to pay attention to her. She glanced over at Devin who was leaning against the wall next to the door. He offered her a slight smile, but Chloe derived no warmth, no hope from it.  
  
"Let's do this again." Sark said, turning back to face Chloe. "If we don't get anything from this one..." he paused and drew in a deep breath, "then we're done."  
  
"Are you sure?" Chloe asked. This mission had suddenly become as important to her as it was to him. Chloe didn't want to stop the images of her mother, she didn't want to forget her childhood, and no matter how many times her mother yelled at her Chloe didn't want it to stop. "We can keep trying." She looked Sark in the eye and knew that he was nearing the end of his rope. It was taking a long time and they kept coming up empty. He was growing tired of the search, he wanted answers and he wanted them then and there.  
  
"One more time," he said firmly, "that's it." Chloe nodded solemnly and relaxed her muscles, ready to fall into the trance once again.  
  
  
  
Just looking at her Sark could tell how much of a toll the hypnosis was taking on Chloe. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was growing tired. She needed her rest. Her eyes closed and Sark's heart leapt into his throat as he watched her relax. Her shoulders dropped, her frown relaxed, and the lines in her forehead vanished. She was falling into her memories. Her lips turned up slightly and Sark could tell it was a good memory.  
There was something about watching Chloe relax that made Sark relax as well. She had such a calming presence that the hardened man could feel it all the way down to his soul. Without knowing it Sark had developed feelings for Chloe, though they weren't anywhere love, they were quickly approaching an extreme fondness and like. The knowledge struck Sark right in the heart. He couldn't develop feelings for Chloe, could he? No, it wasn't possible. But... no. Sark shook the thoughts from his head and tried to keep them from his mind as he waited for Chloe to, once again, emerge from the hypnosis.  
  
  
  
_The sun shone in through a break in the curtains and Savannah let the warm light seep into her skin. She breathed in deeply and wished that fresh air could fill her lungs instead of the stale, dry air that choked her. Her tenth birthday was nearing, and Savannah had yet to step foot outside of the small apartment. She had been cooped up in there for at least six years, and her deathly pale skin showed it. Savannah loved any bit of sunlight, air, or noise that could permeate the thick walls of the small apartment.  
The sound of a glass shattering brought Savannah from her thoughts and she hurried into the kitchen to see what had happened. Sasha knelt in the middle of the floor with her hands covering her face and the remains of a wine glass lying on the floor around her. Her shoulders shook with deep sobs and tears spilled onto the floor. Unnerved by the sight of her mother crying, Savannah ran into the bedroom and picked up her old bear. She hurried back to the kitchen and knelt on the floor beside her mother, shards of glass crunching beneath her jean-clad knees.  
  
"Here mama," she said holding Julian out to her mother, "Julian always helped me when I felt sad." She didn't know what happened, but suddenly her mother's harsh sobs turned to hysterical laughter. Savannah moved away from her slowly, frightened that her mother had gone insane from lack of sunlight. Sasha hugged the bear to her, squeezing him as her laughter echoed throughout the room.  
  
"Oh Savannah, you always did know how to make me laugh." Sasha said after she had gained control of her laughing. She reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "You look just like your father." Sasha's voice was far away, as if she was remembering a distant memory. "He was a good man, your father, very brave and strong. I miss him so much." A tear slipped down her face and Savannah moved back towards her mother. She hugged her tightly and hoped it was enough to comfort her mother.  
A sudden knock on the door startled the two of them and they broke apart, staring at each other in question. The groceries were due to be delivered for another day, and they never had visitors.  
  
"Savannah, I want you to lock yourself in the bedroom." Sasha whispered, her voice tight with fear. The girl nodded and moved stealthily into the other room. The knocking continued as Savannah shut the door behind her and locked it. She heard her mother's hesitant steps as they approached the door.  
  
"Who is it?" she heard her mother call, her voice strangely calm. There was no answer, just another rough knock. There was the sound of the lock clicking and then the rough grating of the door as it was pushed open sharply. Savannah covered her ears when she heard her mother's shrill scream and the sound of a gunshot.  
  
"Mama!" Savannah cried, forgetting that she was supposed to be invisible. She banged on the door, praying that her mother was alright. Footsteps hurried towards her and the door was kicked in. Savannah screamed as a tall man loomed over her, a scar running down the left side of his face and his steely gray eyes glaring down at her. He reached down and grabbed her arm in a vice like grip. She screamed again, but was silenced by a jab across her jaw. She whimpered, silent tears streaming down her face as the man led her out to the living room.  
  
"Let her go," Sasha ordered from where she stood, a man holding her arms behind her back, and another tearing the room apart.  
  
"Not until we get what we came for." The man who was searching the room said.  
  
"What do you want?" Sasha cried, fighting against the man who was restraining her.  
  
"The disk," the man said turning on Sasha, "we know you have it and my employers want it."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Sasha replied, a look of defiance on her face. The man approached Sasha, fire in his eyes. His fist came out of nowhere and Savannah cringed as her mother went limp. The man turned to her and Savannah struggled against the giant that held her.  
  
"Don't be scared," the man said, crouching down to look her in the eye, "I won't hurt you." Savannah had to look away from him, his eyes were just too scary to look into. "Now can you tell me where your mama hid the disk?" Savannah shook her head, afraid to say a word less he hit her like he had hit her mom. "No?" he said, he put his hand under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye. "Are you sure?" he asked. Savannah didn't respond. "You can tell me," He said, "where did your mama put the disk?"  
  
"I...I don't know." She whimpered. His eyes blazed with a harsh fire and Savannah's fear grew.  
  
"Damn it!" he yelled, standing up quickly and overturning the rickety coffee table that was in the middle of the living room. He rounded on Sasha's limp form. "Stupid bitch," he pulled her hair so that her head was looking up at him, "where'd you put the damn disk?" Savannah shivered as her mother's vacant eyes stared back at the man. She had never seen her mother like that before. It frightened her to no end. The man growled, spit in Sasha's face and returned to looking around the room.  
"Come and help me." he ordered the goon who held Savannah's mother. The flunky nodded and dropped Sasha on the floor before going to help his boss. Savannah winced as her mother's body fell to the floor with a thump. She looked down at her mother with tears in her eyes. She was so distraught that she could almost imagine that Sasha winked at her from where she lay.  
  
"There's nothin' here boss." The goon said after they had torn up the apartment.  
  
"Shut up," Boss yelled, "it's here somewhere, I know it is." He walked over to Sasha and forced her to her feet. "Where is it bitch?" he screamed, "I know you have it."  
  
"If you think I'm going to tell you," Sasha said, her voice weak, "you're sorely mistaken." Boss walked a few steps away from her then turned back around and pulled out a gun from inside his jacket. Chills ran down Savannah's spine as the gun was pointed at her.  
  
"You have two choices here," he said to Sasha, "you either tell me where the disk is and the kid lives, or you don't and she dies." He looked Sasha in the eye, "What's it gonna be?" Sasha looked from the man to her daughter, her eyes clouded with fear. Her body suddenly went rigid and she flung herself on Boss, tackling him to the ground. The gun flew from his hand and across the floor. The man that had been holding Sasha ran to help his boss, but she hit him with a back kick and he fell to the ground fighting for air. The man that held Savannah released her and tried to pull Sasha off Boss. She stopped pounding in Boss's face long enough to kick the man in the gut, landing him right beside his buddy.  
Blood covered Boss's face, but he was putting up a good fight against Sasha. They rolled around on the floor, exchanging jabs and punches. Bruises were forming on Sasha's face and there was a cut above her eye. Sasha managed to pin Boss to the floor, but her weight was not enough to keep him down, and he easily kicked her off him. he reached for the gun, but Sasha, realizing that she was running out of strength and ideas, reached for a nearby vase and smashed it over his head. Boss crumpled to the ground, his eyes half closed.  
  
"Hurry Savannah," she said, grabbing her daughter's hand and pulling her towards the door, "we've got to get out of here while they're still out of it." she reached the door then stopped. Quickly, she ran into the bedroom and emerged seconds later with Savannah's bear in her arms. She grabbed her daughter's hand once again and led her out the door at a fast paced run.  
  
_  
  
Sark didn't know what was happening. As he watched Chloe's face, the small smile and the wisps of hair that fell across her forehead, Sark knew that something was changing. He hadn't known it 'til then, but in the days that he had been with Chloe, she had slowly but surely softened his heart. And now, as he looked at her, he knew that he was changed, that he could never go back to the way he had been. It wasn't a big change, but enough for him to know that Chloe had done something to him. she had broken through the walls he had set around himself. Broken down his defenses 'til there was nothing left to hide behind. Every time he slept, he dreamed about her and her serene face.  
But her face wasn't so serene anymore. Before Sark knew what was happening Chloe was tossing and turning in the chair on which she lay. Incoherent mumblings were escaping her lips. she was pleading with somebody, begging them not to hurt someone. Sark quickly moved to her side and tried to shake her from whatever memory had captured her.  
  
"No," Devin said firmly as he grabbed Sark's arm, "this might be the break through we were hopping for." Sark looked down at her tormented face, all scrunched up in fright, then at Devin. He nodded and moved away from Chloe, praying that she would soon release herself from the memory.  
  
  
  
With a gasp, Chloe's eyes sprang open. She was trembling and her face was dripping with sweat. She sat up slowly, too lightheaded to move quickly. The room swirled around her and a strong arm caught her as she began to tip off the chair. She looked up into a pair of ice blue eyes that, at that moment, had never seemed so beautiful and comforting. She sank into their depths like a boat sinks in the ocean.  
  
"Are you alright?" He asked in a voice that was unlike she'd ever heard him use. It held care and concern within its depths.  
  
"I'm...I'm fine." She said bringing her hand up to cradle her head gently.  
  
"Here, lie back down." Sark gently laid her back down and wiped the sweat off her face with a cool cloth.  
  
"I know what the Covenant wants." She said suddenly. She could feel Sark's hand pause for a second, and then continue to wipe her brow.  
  
"What is it?" he asked calmly, even though Chloe knew he was dying to know.  
  
"It's a disk." She replied, looking up into his eyes and allowing herself to lose herself in them.  
  
"What's on it, where is it?" He asked. Chloe closed her eyes, trying to clear her vision so she could see him more clearly.  
  
"I don't know." she whispered, "I don't know." she could see the defeated look on Sark's face and felt the same combination and failure and accomplishment that he did. "I'm sorry." She said, and was surprised to find that she meant it.  
  
"It's okay." Sark said, "at least we know what it is we're looking for. That should narrow down the search."  
  
"We can try the hypnosis again, just to see if I can figure out where my mother hid it." Chloe offered, even though she felt completely drained from the sessions she had already gone through.  
  
"No," Sark shook his head, "I can't ask you to do it again, at least not until you've gotten some rest." Chloe nodded. She reached up to take the cloth from him and her breath caught in her throat as their hands brushed together. She looked down, refusing to meet Sark's eyes, and took a great interest in a small string that hung from her shirt.  
  
  
  
There was no use denying it now. Chloe had an affect on Sark, he knew it as soon as her hand touched his. A fire spread up his arm and through his body as soon as her soft skin brushed against his. He looked away quickly and fixed his gaze on his shoes. Chloe groaned softly and Sark looked back at her concerned.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" He asked worriedly.  
  
"Yeah," Chloe replied, looking up into his eyes with a soft smile, "I'm fine." Sark nodded and turned away from her.  
  
"You should get some rest." He said looking at her over his shoulder, "Then we can figure out our next step."  
  
"Alright," she replied. He heard her feet hit the floor and turned around just in time to see her start to sway. He caught her before she could fall and a shockwave ran through him as her body fell against him. "I'm okay." She said, reassuring him before he could even ask.  
  
"No you're not." Sark replied with a smirk. He lifted her in his arms easily and carried her out of the room. They emerged from the hidden room and walked through the closet that was in the bedroom. Chloe's arms wrapped around his neck, making it burn. They entered the bedroom and he placed her on the bed gently.  
  
"Go to sleep." He said, pulling the covers up around her, "We'll discuss our next step when you wake up." Chloe nodded, her eyes already closed. Sark turned around and headed for the open door that led out to the living room. He was about to close the door behind him when Chloe's voice caught his attention.  
  
"I hope we find the disk," she whispered, "then this will all be over." Sark smiled gently and closed the door. He hadn't thought about that. Once they found the disk it truly would be over. He would be able to return Chloe to her family and when he did that, he'd never see her again. The thought tore at him like sharp teeth. He didn't want to let Chloe go, he wanted her to stay with him, forever.  
  
  
  
Wow, that is like the longest chapter I have EVER written. I hope you all enjoyed it and that it lived up to what you thought this chapter would be like.  
It will be awhile before I update this story. My family is going to Florida for a few days, so I won't be able to work on the next chapter.  
I hope you all will review and tell me what you thought of this chapter.  
  
Csk8-20: The age difference is fifteen years. Personally, I don't it's that much, but some people might. Oh well, I'm the one writing the story. Lol.  
  
Natalie: Yeah, I'll probably use the idea. It's a pretty good one.  
  
Beautiful Tragedy: I'm glad that I have such a loyal reader and I'm glad that you enjoy this story so much. Thank you.  
  
Majesticness: I hope this chapter was long enough for you. I don't know how long the others will be, so this might be the longest one in the story.  
  
Tentoesupurnose16: Thank you so much. I'm glad I can describe feelings well enough for my readers to pick up on them. And about Devin, you'll just have to stay tuned to see what happens with him.  
  
Zeriae: Thank you for reviewing. 


	14. Wake up

Oh man you guys are awesome! I've only written twelve chapters and already I have OVER one hundred reviews! Imagine my surprise when I finally was able to check my mail (since I was in Florida I didn't have access to a computer, much less the internet) and I had loads of mail. It was the best thing _ever_.  
Well, I know you're all anxious to read the next chapter, so here ya go.  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
Chloe sat up in bed, her eyes wide and her hair falling about her face in disarray. She knew where the disk was! She was certain of it. Without bothering to change from the clothes she'd fallen asleep in, and not caring how her hair looked, Chloe hurried out of bed and into the living room.  
The living room was dark. Curtains were drawn over the windows, blocking out any light that could come in. The lights were turned off and it looked as if it was the middle of the night. Glancing at her watch, Chloe found that her guess wasn't too far off. For a split second she debated whether or not to wait until morning to wake Sark and tell him what she remembered. Her impatient side won out and she felt her way across the dark living room to where Sark lay on the couch. Her fingers brushed against his bare skin as she shook his still form and she tired to ignore the fire that spread up her arm.  
  
"Sark," she said, shaking him harder as he sleepily tried to swat her away. "Wake up you idiot." Sark mumbled sleepily and turned his head away from Chloe, who was quickly losing her patience. "Alright," she said, placing her hands on her hips, "you asked for it." Suddenly, she jumped atop Sark, straddling his waist, grabbed his shoulders and shook him with teeth rattling intensity.  
Sark's eyes flew open. He grabbed Chloe's hands and, not knowing it was her, rolled over so she fell to the floor, her head barely missing the coffee table, and landed on top of her. Chloe's chest rose and fell with quick, frightened gasps as she looked up into Sark's icy blue eyes. Her hands were on his chest, and she couldn't help but notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt. His muscles rippled beneath her hands and Chloe was grateful for the darkness that hid her blush. As her eyes locked with his, Sark seemed to recognize her and his face immediately softened.  
  
"Good god Chloe," he said harshly, "I could have killed you."  
  
"Yeah right," Chloe replied with a shaky laugh. It was then Sark noticed their position, and her hands on his chest. He looked down at her hands, then at her, a smirk on his face.  
  
"And exactly what did you want with me?" he asked, his eyebrows raised suggestively.  
  
"You wish." Chloe scoffed, looking him straight in the eye and refusing to let the fire overtake her body. Sark simply smirked in reply. Disgusted, Chloe shoved him off her and quickly stood. Sark stood as well and, even in the dark, Chloe couldn't help but notice his muscular shoulders and abs. Swallowing hard she tore her gaze away from his body before he could comment on where she was looking.  
  
"Now, what was so urgent you had to wake me up in such an annoying manner?" The English man asked, stretching out his arms to get the kinks out of them. Chloe's blush deepened as she saw his biceps flex and his shoulders ripple.  
  
"I...I know where the disk is." She replied, slightly flustered. This was ridiculous. Chloe Vaughn did _not_ get flustered by muscles, least of all Sark's!  
  
  
  
_Her lips were soft on his own as their tongues dueled with each other. Sark ran his hand through he soft hair and her own hands ran down his bare chest, causing his muscles to move beneath them. He couldn't help the smile that crept up his face as her kisses traveled down his jaw, neck, and his chest. Her hands explored his body and Sark stared into her eyes, loving the familiar fire that resided there. Her hands traveled back up his torso and gently took hold of his shoulders. Then, without warning, she began to shake him fiercely.  
_  
Sark's eyes flew open. Someone sat on top of him, shaking him roughly. Thinking only of getting his attacker off him, Sark rolled over quickly and landed with the shadowy figure beneath him. Hands braced themselves against his chest, but he paid no attention to them. His eyes locked with the figure below him and his breath caught in his throat. There was a hidden fire within them that made it easy to tell who had 'attacked' him.  
Chloe's eyes were frightened and he could feel her unsteady breathing. He spoke to her, barely registering what he said or how she responded. The feel of her soft hands overwhelmed his senses, and Sark couldn't help but smirk as he remember the dream he'd been having before she woke him up. He asked her what she wanted and, though he wouldn't admit it, hoped she had wanted what he'd been dreaming of. She pushed him away and Sark felt a bit hurt, that was until he saw her checking out his muscles. Subtly he flexed them, and received the desired effect. Chloe became flustered and stumbled over an answer that was music to his ears.  
  
"Where?" he asked, not bothering to hide his excitement.  
  
"It's in my old teddy bear." She replied.  
  
"And where is your old teddy bear?" Sark asked, praying that it had not ended up in a dumpster years ago.  
  
"It's at the orphanage." She said, "I gave it to the little kids when I outgrew him. I don't know what happened to him after I left with mom and dad." Chloe paused and Sark knew she was thinking of her parents. He knew she missed them, and he knew that she refused to show it because she did not want him to use it against her. She shook her head and looked at the floor. "The nuns might have thrown him out, but we can always look to see if he's still there."  
  
"Excellent." Sark said nodding his head, "We'll go right now."  
  
"Now?" Chloe said, her voice filled with shock. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his.  
  
"Yes, now." Sark said, "You don't expect me to fall asleep again, not after the way you woke me up." She grinned sheepishly and looked back down at her bare feet. Sark smiled at her down turned head and felt his heart soften just the tiniest bit. He shook his head and quickly turned away from Chloe and headed towards the kitchen.  
  
"You had best get dressed," he called to her, grabbing the coffee pot so he could start a batch, "I'm going to need you to tell me which bear is yours." A door closed behind him and Sark looked over his shoulder to see that she had left the living room and shut herself in the bedroom.  
Sark sighed and leaned his back against the counter. What was happening to him? Why did he allow himself to become attached? He knew better than that. He knew that you never, _ever_ become attached to your hostage. You just don't. So why had he let himself? The answer was harder to process than he would have thought. He cared about Chloe; it was so simple yet so difficult. Over the days that she had been with him, Chloe had become important to him. He had come to rely on seeing her face every day, hearing her voice, and looking into her eyes.  
The door to the apartment opened and Sark looked over startled. Devin walked in, creeping quietly since he thought Sark and Chloe were asleep. Sark watched him quietly, not making a sound as his old friend crept past the kitchen.  
  
"Where were you?" he asked. Devin whirled around; his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise.  
  
"You scared me Julian." He said, and then added in an accusing tone,  
  
"Why aren't you asleep?"  
  
"Me?" Sark said, his eyebrows rose in question, "Why aren't you in bed?"  
  
"Oh," Devin looked around the room as if he was backed in a corner, "I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a walk." Sark continued to eye his friend; he just knew Devin was lying. But why? Why would he feel the need to lie? He was obviously hiding something and Sark wanted to know what.  
  
  
  
Fumbling through the clothes that hung in the closet, Chloe tried dousing the fire that still ran through her body. Sark's skin had been warm and hard beneath her hands. Just thinking about the feel of his skin made her heart race and Chloe hated herself for being so girly. It was bad enough that she felt something for him, what was worse was he seemed to know and used it to his advantage. She shook her head to clear it of any and all thoughts. She pulled clothes out of the closet blindly and put them on, not caring if they matched. Hurriedly she ran a brush through her hair and then pulled it back into a ponytail.  
The scent of freshly brewed coffee hit her full force when Chloe opened the door to the bedroom. She breathed it in deeply and a small smile crept up her face. It was such a heavenly smell. She made her way to the kitchen, but paused when she saw Sark and Devin talking in quiet, harsh whispers. Curiously, Chloe hid right outside the doorway and strained her ears to hear what they were saying.  
  
"That's a lie and you know it Devin," Sark said, "where were you?"  
  
"I told you," Devin replied, his voice urgent and pleading, "I was out walking, that's all, I swear." Chloe couldn't hear what Sark said in reply, but she knew that it wasn't good because Devin soon came stomping out of the kitchen and nearly bumped into Chloe.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled brushing past her and refusing to make eye contact. Glancing after him curiously, Chloe walked into the kitchen.  
  
"What was that about?" she asked, pointing out towards the living room.  
  
"Nothing." Sark said gruffly, his back turned to her. He turned around and handed her a mug of hot, black coffee.  
  
"Thanks." she said taking it from him, careful not to touch him. Sark seemed to notice her uneasiness and, surprisingly, kept his distance.  
  
  
  
Sark was ready to hit something, or somebody. Devin was keeping his mouth shut about where he'd been, and Sark knew that was not a good sign. He clutched the counter top tightly, afraid that he would punch out his friend if he did not. He could hear Devin walking out of the kitchen and then heard another pair of lighter steps enter. Sark didn't need to turn around to see who it was; there was only one other person in the safe house to who those steps could belong.  
Picking up the coffee pot, Sark poured a mug full, knowing Chloe would want some. He stole a glance at her over his shoulder and his heart stopped. She wore a faded, thigh-length jean skirt and a pale pink button up blouse, the top two buttons undone to show a fair amount of flesh. He quickly turned his gaze away and focused on pouring the coffee.  
He kept his gaze on the wall behind her when he handed the mug to her, and was careful not to touch her. Sark didn't know what was happening to him. He had never been so weak around a woman before. He felt as if he couldn't do anything, his body lost all its strength. Chloe's gaze bore into him and Sark knew that if he did not do something soon he would lose all restraint and crush her to him right then and there.  
  
"We should get going." He said, running a restless hand through his tousled hair.  
  
"Okay." Chloe replied softly. She walked towards him and Sark moved away from her quickly, afraid that one brush of her soft skin against his would make him lose the war that was going on inside him. She put the now empty mug in the sink and walked out of the kitchen and towards the door.  
  
"Wait," Sark said just as her hand brushed the doorknob. She turned around and looked at him questioningly. "We're going to need some stuff." he said and walked towards the bedroom. He could hear her footsteps behind him as he pushed open the secret door in the closet and headed into the hidden room.  
Inside the room there was a single chair with a light hanging over it and a metal table. The floor was concrete and when you walked on it, the sound echoed off the stone walls. Sark made his way over to the far wall and pushed a hidden button. The wall lifted up to reveal weapons of all kinds hanging on pegs. He pulled two handguns down and a small knife, which he stuck in a hidden sheath in his shoe. Loading the guns carefully Sark could feel Chloe's eyes on him.  
  
"You know how to shoot one of these?" he asked, holding out one of the guns.  
  
"Yes," she said, staring down at the gun as if it was going to bite her, "but why do we need them? It's not like we're going to shoot the kids at the orphanage, are we?" she looked at him and Sark could feel the question in her gaze.  
  
"You never know what we'll encounter." He said, "Now take the gun." Chloe did as she was told and gingerly took the gun from Sark's hand. Her hands molded to the metal perfectly and she raised it up to gauge the sight on it. Sark placed his own gun in the holster that hung from his shoulder then looked at Chloe. "Let's go."  
  
  
  
Okay, so this chapter didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would, but it gives me a great lead way for the next chapter, which will have even more Sark/Chloe romance, and much more action. So stay tuned for that, I promise it'll be good.  
  
Linzi: True, this story is borderline unbelievable, but aren't most fictitious stories like that? You're right about how I'm not very descriptive. The thing is I'm not that great at describing things, so sometimes I don't even try. And Sark has gone soft too early; I'll try to fix that.  
  
Eyghon: You're absolutely right, Chloe doesn't seem to miss her family too much. I'll work on that.  
  
Natalie: No, Sark isn't that old. In the show, he's about twenty- four or twenty-five. In my story, he's in his late thirties.  
  
Blue Cow: Her name is Savannah in the flashbacks 'cause that was Chloe's name at the time.  
  
Tentoesupurnose16: I think everyone knows where the disk is, lol, I didn't exactly make it a mystery. Just you wait and see what happens with Devin, it's gonna be good.  
  
Csk8-20: Don't worry; I don't take constructive criticism the wrong way. I liked when people offer me advice. Sark has gotten attached to Chloe awful quickly. But wouldn't you if you were with someone 24/7?  
  
RedRose121, majesticness, sallene, Zeriea, and wicked-sista: Thank you all so much for reviewing. 


	15. Julian

Chapter Fourteen  
  
Walking into the orphanage turned back time for Chloe. She felt as if she was a teenager again, looking after the little kids and praying for a couple to adopt her. She touched the walls gingerly and let her hands glide along the wooden wall panels. Time slipped away and all Chloe knew was the orphanage.  
  
"It hasn't changed at all." She breathed, looking about the large playroom. The walls were a deep mahogany, which drew attention away from the faded blue carpet that held stains of every kind. Large bay windows let the bright sun through and cast long lines of light across the floor. Toys were placed in their prospective places and there were rocking chairs throughout the room.  
  
"After all this time," she said, "I can't believe it's the same." There were loud shouts down the hall as a cacophony of footsteps came thundering down the stairs and across the floor towards the room. Kids of all ages and sizes ran into the playroom and pulled out the toys, filling the room with noise. In just a few seconds, the orphanage was transformed from a quiet place filled with memories to a thunderous zoo of activity.  
  
"Let's find that bear and get out of here." Sark said, glancing about the room uneasily. Chloe looked at him and smirked.  
  
"Don't tell me you're afraid of some harmless children." She teased.  
  
"No." he snapped, glaring at her.  
  
"Touché." She said with a laugh, "Come on, the nursery's this way." She led him towards the large staircase. Chloe closed her eyes and gripped the banister as she climbed the stairs. She breathed in the familiar scent of the orphanage and smiled slightly. She had been so happy to leave that placed when she was younger, but stepping through the large doors had been like coming home. Climbing the stairs swiftly, she turned to the left and walked down the narrow hallway.  
  
"Second door on the right." She muttered, reaching the door and turning the knob slowly. The oak door opened with a squeal of protest. Inside the room lay a handful of sleeping infants. A large toy chest sat at the far end of the room and another sat by the door.  
  
"You look through this one," she said to Sark, pointing to the chest by the door, "I'll look through that one."  
  
"What exactly am I looking for?" Sark asked as he opened the toy box and shoved aside a doll.  
  
"You're looking for a bear with a torn ear, and missing eye." Chloe said, shifting through her own chest, "His body is a really dark brown and he has a pale yellow stomach." Sark nodded his head and the two fell silent as they searched.  
Finally, Chloe's hand brushed against something soft and familiar. With a smile, she reached deep into the toy chest and pulled out her old teddy bear.  
  
"Julian!" she cried, hugging his worn body close to her.  
  
"What?" Sark turned, his brow furrowed in question.  
  
"What?" Chloe asked, confused.  
  
"Why did you call me?" Sark said slowly, as if speaking to a child.  
  
"Your name's Julian?" She asked, shocked.  
  
"Yes," he nodded his head slowly.  
  
"That's my bear's name!" Chloe cried.  
  
"You found it?" Sark hurried to her side and took the bear from her swiftly. He took the knife from his shoe and started to dig it into the bear's stomach.  
  
"What are you doing?" Chloe said, yanking the knife away from Sark.  
  
"I'm getting the damn disk," he said, trying to get the knife back from her, "what did you think I was doing?"  
  
"You can't cut Julian up." She said, tearing the bear from Sark's grasp, "That's not right."  
  
"Well how do you suggest we get the disk out of him?" Sark looked at her with his eyebrows raised in question.  
  
"We take him back to the safe house and cut along the seams," Chloe said, looking at Sark as if he was a simpleton, "that way, we can sew him back up when we're done." she smiled up at him, happy with her solution.  
  
"Fine," he said, "now let's go." He turned around and stormed out of the nursery. With a triumphant smile, Chloe followed him out into the hall, the bear tucked safely under her arm. They walked in silence down the stairs. Just as Sark was reaching to open the door that led outside, Mother Francis, the nun in charge of the orphanage, walked out from playroom into the entrance hall.  
  
"Holy Mother Mary," she said, crossing herself swiftly, "is that you Chloe?"  
  
"Hello Mother Francis." Chloe said, inclining her head towards the old nun. During the years that Chloe had lived with the Vaughns, the nun had aged considerably. The lines in her face had deepened to wrinkles, and there were large bags beneath her harried eyes.  
  
"I didn't know you and your husband were coming in," the old nun said.  
  
"Oh, he's not my husband." Chloe quickly corrected the woman. She looked up at Sark and caught his smirk as he slid his arm around her waist easily. Fire sprouted from his touch and consumed her whole body, making it hard to breathe. She leaned against him for support as her legs turned to jelly.  
  
"Julian Sark," he said, extending his hand towards the nun, "I'm Chloe's fiancée."  
  
  
  
Sark could hardly keep the smirk from climbing up his face. It was too funny to think that this nun thought he and Chloe were married. He could not deny that they fought like an old married couple, but who could mistake them as actually being married? It was absurd.  
It made him uneasy how easily his arm slipped around Chloe, and how perfectly it fit around her waist. He felt her fall into him and thought that she was playing along with the ruse. He couldn't possibly have known of the butterflies that were fluttering about in her stomach. He looked down into her upturned face as Mother Francis congratulated them on their "engagement," and it was all he could do not to pull her to him and kiss her right there. Her eyes stared into his, wide with surprise, the dark hazel depths full of confusion. He looked at her, and then cast a quick glance at Mother Francis. Chloe seemed to understand what he meant. She turned her gaze away from Sark and faced the nun.  
  
"We really must be going now Mother Francis," she said politely, "we've got so much work to do before the wedding."  
  
"Of course, of course," the nun said, "I wish you both luck and happiness."  
  
"Thank you." Chloe smiled and Sark guided her subtly towards the door and opened it.  
  
"Good day Mother Francis." He said with a nod. The nun waved at them as they exited the orphanage.  
  
"I can't believe she didn't even notice the bear." Sark said with a chuckle once they were safely in the car and heading back towards the safe house.  
  
"Me neither." Chloe said, her arms wrapped protectively around her old teddy bear. Sark glanced over at her and remembered just how nice it had felt to have her in his arms. Chloe's gaze was fixed on the road ahead of them, leaving him free to look at her without her knowing. He glanced back at the road, then back at Chloe. She sighed lightly and leaned her head against the cold glass window.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked.  
  
"I miss my parents." She said quietly, and he could clearly hear the sorrow in her voice. Not knowing what he was doing, Sark took a hand off the wheel, reached over, and took one of her hands in his.  
  
"Once we find out what's on this disk," he said, "you can go home."  
  
"I know," she said before turning her attention back to the scenery flashing by the window. They rode in silence, their hands tightly clasped together for the rest of the ride.  
  
  
  
Carefully Chloe cut the seams of her teddy bear's stomach with a pair of scissors. It was almost like a way of burying her past as she continued to cut away at the old and matted teddy bear. Finally, she had cleanly cut his stomach off and she carefully pulled it off. The stuffing was all matted down and it was easy enough for Chloe to pull it out. There was nothing inside the bear, so she pulled at the stuffing until she found a plain gray disk.  
  
"I found it!" she cried. Sark came hurrying out of the kitchen, where Chloe had banished him to when he kept bugging her about cutting into the bear. She held it out to him and he took it from her, his eyes gazing at it awestruck.  
  
"This is it," he said, his voice far away, contemplating. He looked down at Chloe who was seated on the couch. "You know what this means don't you?" he said. She nodded. It meant she could go home and forget this whole ordeal ever happened. She could go on with her life, go back to school, and be with her parents again. But as she looked up at Sark, she realized that perhaps she didn't want_ everything_ to go back to normal.  
Slowly, Sark placed his laptop on top of the coffee table, booted it up, and inserted the disk. The two exchanged one last look before returning their attention to the computer screen. Sark clicked a button, and the contents of the disk appeared on the screen. Columns of names, dates, and numbers covered the screen. Sark scrolled down the columns slowly so that they could read them.  
  
"What do you think it is?" Chloe asked. Sark shook his head.  
  
"I don't know." he said, his eyes fixated screen.  
  
"Wait!" Chloe cried as he scrolled down a column, "Go back." Looking at her as if she were crazy, Sark scrolled back up. "There," she pointed at a name on the screen, "Gogolack." She said, "That was my mother's last name." She looked across the three lists to read the information. "Kevin Gogolack. May 19, 1997. 50719-3824. What the hell does that mean?" She asked.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine." Sark said, studying the screen. Chloe sighed and sank back into the sofa, letting the large, puffy cushions swallow her.  
  
"Great," she said, "so we find the disk and we don't even know what it means. This is just great." She covered her face with her hands and beat her head against the back of the couch.  
  
"Stop that." Sark said, grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. "You'll give yourself brain damage if you keep doing that."  
  
"I don't care." She said, continuing to beat her head against the couch, "Maybe it'll knock the answer into my head if I keep doing it." Sark put his hands on either side of Chloe's head and held it gently. Even if he hadn't been holding her, Chloe didn't think she would be able to move. Sark's eyes paralyzed her; the icy blue depths of them sucked her in. Her heart pounded inside her ribcage and her breathing suddenly became harsh and uneven. Sark's hands burned her, but she didn't want to pull away, she was too afraid that the moment would vanish if she did. Taking in a large breath of air, Chloe tried to calm her racing heart. She closed her eyes tightly and tried desperately to douse the fire that consumed her. Pulling away was an easy thing to imagine, but _so_ much harder to do.  
  
"Please Sark, don't do this." she breathed, her voice weak and raspy.  
  
"Do what?" He asked, his own voice filled with emotions that Chloe could not even guess at. Chloe looked down at her hands, which she wrung in nervousness. Sark hooked his finger beneath her chin, forcing her head up. But Chloe refused to look at him, and closed her eyes so that she would not have to look into his. "Look at me." he said softly, his tone so gentle she could do nothing but what he asked. Her eyes fluttered open, and her lips parted instinctively.  
  
  
  
Sark couldn't control his emotions. Chloe's skin felt so soft beneath his hands, her skin was like silk under his fingers. He could feel her pulse throbbing, and his own pulse sped up to match hers. His own heart was pounding and his gaze drifted from her eyes to her full, red, kissable lips. Sark was quickly losing his control; he didn't know how much longer he could keep from crushing his mouth to hers.  
  
"I can't do this." Chloe whispered, shaking her head slightly.  
  
"Why not?" he asked, wanting so badly to kiss her.  
  
"It's just not right." She said.  
  
"Why?" He asked. Sark so desperately wanted to kiss her, but there was no way he could unless Chloe wanted to kiss him back. He traced his thumb across her lower lip seductively. He leaned in closer and could feel Chloe tense. "Relax," he whispered, "just do what feels right."  
  
"What feels right." She murmured, her eyes staring into his intensely. He moved in again. Sark heard Chloe breathe in deeply. He looked back into her eyes, only to find that they were closed tightly. He couldn't help but smirk as he looked at her upturned face. Moving in slowly, he gently brushed his lips against hers and immediately lost all self-control. Her lips were soft and tasted like vanilla lip-gloss.  
Sark moved his lips against Chloe's, devouring her taste like a starving man. He smirked when he heard Chloe moan against his mouth.  
  
  
  
Chloe was in complete heaven. As Sark's lips moved against hers, she had no idea why she had put up any fight at all when he had first moved in. His kiss was gentle at first, but as the kiss became more heated, he deepened it. Her hands traveled up his muscular arms, across his broad shoulders, and came to rest on his sculpted back. Sark tilted her head back as his hands played with her hair, and his tongue brushed against her lower lip. She let her mouth open slightly, complying to his silent request. She moaned low in her throat as his tongue brushed hers.  
Her knees trembled as their tongues dueled, and she was grateful to be sitting down. Her hands shook faintly and she could not control her thundering pulse. A whimper escaped her mouth as Sark's hand slipped down her torso, lightly brushing against the side of her breast, and came to rest on her waist. She was breathless when Sark finally pulled away from her.  
  
  
  
Sark studied Chloe's face as he pulled away. Her eyes remained closed for a little while before fluttering open and revealing the desire that she had for him. He brushed the hair out of her face gently.  
  
"Are you gonna put up another fuss if I try to kiss you again?" he smirked. Chloe shook her head and Sark moved in again. The sound of clapping hands interrupted him though, and he pulled away from Chloe and looked towards the door.  
Devin stood before them, glaring down at them with the iciest glare Sark had ever seen.  
  
"How touching." He said sarcastically. "Now if you don't mind, I'll take that disk now."  
  
"What are you talking about Devin?" Sark asked gruffly.  
  
"Don't play dumb Julian," Devin scoffed, "I know you have the disk, and I want it."  
  
"And you think I'm actually just gonna hand it over to you?" Sark said.  
  
"Yes." His friend said, pulling a gun from inside his jacket and aiming it at Chloe. Sark looked from the man he thought he had known to the woman he had just kissed. He stood quickly and drew his own gun. Devin smirked lightly.  
  
"You really think you can kill me before I kill her?" he asked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Drop the gun Devin," Sark ordered.  
  
"Let me think for a second...no." Devin said.  
  
"Don't think I won't shoot you." Sark thundered.  
  
"Ha, don't make me laugh Julian. You shoot me and I shoot her." Sark looked from Devin to Chloe then back again. "If you love her Julian, you'll drop the gun." Sark didn't know what to do. Did he put the gun down and let Devin shoot Chloe, or shoot Devin and risk Chloe being shot. Either way it was a lose-lose situation.  
  
  
  
Haha, another famous cliffhanger from your truly. Lol. I hope you all liked the chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed the "Sarky lovin'" I put in. For one who's never been kissed, I sure can write about one. Lol. Well, I hope you all will review and tell me what you thought. And if y'all ever get the chance, check out my other two stories Desert Mirage, and The Sea Calls My Name. Thanks again for reading.  
  
Jun Ionyra: Hey, I love to have new readers and I'm so glad that you enjoyed this story enough to review it. I hope you'll continue to read and review.  
  
Beautiful Tragedy: What wouldn't we ALL do to have our hands on Sark's chest? Lol.  
  
Serindipity: At first, I sort of imagined Devin as a Weiss sort of character myself. Then I thought, "why not have Devin fight Sark for Chloe?" But that wasn't a very good idea, so then I decided on the idea that I'll be using in the next chapter.  
  
Masta D, csk8-20, wicked-sista, soccerchic1099, majesticness, Eyghon, and Zeriae: Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing this story. 


	16. If you love her

Chapter Fifteen  
  
There was no way this was happening. There was no way that there was a gun pointed at her, ready to fire at a moments notice. Chloe's heart continued to rapidly beat against her ribs, but this time in fear, not anticipation. Her legs were shaky as she tried to stand. She refused to face death sitting down.  
  
"Don't move!" Devin cried as Chloe stood. She paused, half standing, half sitting, unsure what to do. Slowly she straightened up, her eyes not moving from his. Fear clogged her throat, making it difficult to breathe. She could see Sark out of the corner of her eye. His jaw was clenched tightly and his eyes were ice cold as they stared Devin down.  
  
"Put the gun down Devin," he said. His voice was so calm and steady it scared Chloe. How could anybody be calm in a situation like this?  
  
"I don't think so Julian," Devin said, not taking his eyes off Chloe, "either you give me the disk, or I'll kill her." He looked at Sark, "It's your choice." Chloe looked to Sark, her eyes pleading with him. She wasn't afraid to die, not really. It was the pain she feared. As long as he shot her straight in the heart and it killed her instantly, she was okay. But she would not be able to bear the pain.  
  
"Devin please," she said, looking back towards the man she thought she'd known, "don't do this."  
  
"Sorry Chloe," he said, truly sounding sorry, "but this isn't up to me anymore." He looked at Sark pointedly, "It's up to him."  
  
  
  
Sark felt as if he carried the world on his shoulders. Why did he have to be the one to hold Chloe's life in his hands? He felt powerless to do anything. He couldn't pull the trigger, it was too risky. He might miss and then Devin would kill Chloe. There was nothing he could do. The only chance he had was to distract Devin long enough to disarm him.  
  
"Why are you doing this Devin?" he asked. Devin looked at Sark quickly before turning back to the woman he held at gunpoint.  
  
"The only reason I ever did anything." he replied, "The money."  
  
"Money?" Chloe cried, "You're going to kill us for some measly dollars?"  
  
"Do you have any idea how much the Covenant is going to pay me for that disk?" Devin asked, glaring at Chloe. "I could retire in France and have anything I could ever want." Chloe was about to say something else, but Sark caught her eye and shook his head quickly, telling her not to say anything more. She ducked her head, and her hair fell around her face, hiding it from his view.  
  
"You don't have to kill us for it Devin," he said, tearing his gaze from Chloe's hidden face, "Just put down the gun and we'll give you the disk." Chloe's head shot up and she glared at Sark, her gaze asking if he was crazy.  
  
"Like I believe that." Devin scoffed. "You'd kill me as soon as I put my gun down. No," he cocked the gun, "I think I'll take my chances this way." Chloe flinched and stared at Sark. He knew he had to do something, but what? What could he possibly do? He and Devin were at a stalemate.  
  
"Devin," he pleaded with his friend.  
  
"If you love her Julian, you'll put down the gun." Devin yelled, interrupting him. Sark closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them once again. Placing his hands in the air, he knelt down slowly and placed the gun on the floor. He looked up at Chloe, who was staring at him as if he had two heads.  
  
"That's..." Devin's words were cut off when Sark quickly kicked his friend's legs out from under him. The gun went off, Devin fell to the ground, and Chloe screamed.  
  
  
  
Everything was happening so fast. One moment Chloe thought she was about to die, the next Sark and Devin were struggling with each other on the floor, trying to gain control of the gun Sark had laid down. Heart hammering in her chest, Chloe picked up the gun that Devin had dropped and aimed it at the pair. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins so rapidly that she could not keep her hand steady.  
Sark had Devin pinned to the ground and was trying to punch him in the face, but Devin quickly shifted his weight and Sark tumbled off him. Sark reached for the knife that was still in his shoe, but Devin wrestled it from him. He was just about to plunge it into Sark's arm when Chloe was finally able to gain control of her hand. She pulled the trigger, closing her eyes tightly as the gun went off. She stood there, her arms stiff, her hands clenching the gun tightly, and her eyes screwed shut for what seemed like forever. Strong hands gently pried the gun from her hands. She opened her eyes slowly.  
  
"Is he...dead?" she asked, her voice weak and pathetic to her own ears. Sark simply nodded his eyes downcast. Chloe's hands flew to her face, covering her mouth as fat tears slid down her cheeks. "I...I kill...I killed him." she stuttered, looking to Sark to verify it. "I killed somebody." Her body suddenly lost all strength and she swayed. Sark caught her just as she was about to hit the floor and they sat there, holding each other. Chloe wept into his shoulder, soaking the designer jacket he wore with her tears. His arm came around to hug her shoulders, and Chloe let out a yelp as a sharp pain ran through her arm. Sark pulled back.  
  
"My god," he said, his eyes trained on her bleeding shoulder, "Devin must have shot you when he fell." He looked up into her eyes, and Chloe could read the pain in them. "I'm so sorry Chloe," he said, "If I hadn't knocked him down you wouldn't have gotten hurt." He buried his face in her shoulder and kissed her neck gently. "We have to get you to the hospital." He stood and picked her up as if she were a child.  
  
"No, Julian, put me down." She said, "We can't go to the hospital." Sark looked at her, shocked.  
  
"Why not?" He asked.  
  
"If we go to the hospital, the Covenant might track us." She said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "We can't let them find us. They CANNOT get their hands on that disk." She could feel Sark swallow.  
  
"You're right." He said, "But what about your arm. The bullet will infect it if we don't get it out." Chloe closed her eyes, thinking about what they could possibly do.  
  
"Get some cloth; tie it around my arm so it'll stop the bleeding." She opened her eyes and stared straight into his. He nodded, put her down gently on the couch, and ran into the bedroom. She could hear the sound of ripping fabric. He emerged quickly and tied a strip of the bed sheet around her bleeding arm.  
  
"Okay," she said, wincing as she tried to move her arm, "get the disk and computer. We've got to get out of here before the Covenant sends anybody else."  
  
"Will you be okay walking?" Sark asked concern clear in his voice.  
  
"He shot me in the arm, not the leg." Chloe teased. Sark nodded and picked up the laptop, which still held the disk in it.  
  
  
  
Opening the door to his Ferrari, Sark placed the laptop in the backseat and helped Chloe into the passenger's seat. He pulled the buckle across her shoulder and leaned across her to lock it in. His body brushed against hers and a fire spread throughout him. He looked into her eyes. They smiled at him gently, as if forgiving him for all the pain he had caused her. Leaning in, he kissed her lips gently and pulled away before he got too lost in the feel of her soft lips. He quickly hurried to his side and climbed in.  
He was going soft, he could feel it. Sark didn't like the idea; he didn't want to be known as Julian Sark, the softie. He wanted his name to strike fear into the hearts of all those who heard it. So why was he so scared for Chloe? Why did he feel like it was his job to protect her from anything that could cause her harm? He put the car in gear and sped off down the road, driving away from the safe house, and Devin's lifeless body.  
It was silent in the car, Sark was concentrating on the road, and Chloe was staring out the window absentmindedly. Every now and then, Sark would cast a glance at her. Every time he looked at her, he could feel her wearing away his rough edges, wearing down his evilness. He hated her for it, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't hate her.  
  
"Sark," her voice startled him, and he had to quickly correct the Ferrari before it ran into the ditch.  
  
"What?" he asked, looking at her quickly. The moon reflected in her eyes, and shone on her hair, giving her an angelic appearance.  
  
"Back at the safe house, did you mean it?" Sark looked at her, confused.  
  
"Mean what?"  
  
"When Devin said to put the gun down. Did you mean it?"  
  
"Chloe, I have no idea what you're talking about." He could hear her sigh.  
  
"Did you mean that...you loved me?" He looked at her. Her eyes were wide, the question clear. He couldn't read how she felt about him, but he could clearly see the yearning for the answer to be yes. He reached over and took her hand in his.  
  
"I don't know Chloe," he replied honestly, "all I know is that I couldn't let him hurt you." He looked at her and she lowered her eyes.  
  
"Oh," she said, her voice slightly disappointed, "Julian," she looked back up at him, "I...I think...I think I love you." Sark pulled the car over to the side of the road, afraid that he would drive into a tree or something from the shock of what Chloe had just said. Her tears shone in the moonlight, and he gently wiped them away with his thumb.  
  
"Chloe," he started, his voice choked with emotion.  
  
"I shouldn't have said anything." Chloe interrupted him, turning her face away from him.  
  
"No," he placed a finger beneath her chin and forced her to look at him, "just because I don't know how I feel, that doesn't mean that you can't tell me how you feel." He smiled, something he seemed to be doing a lot of whenever she was around him. "To be honest, I'm glad you said that. I care a lot about you Chloe."  
  
"You do?" she asked, her voice hopeful.  
  
"I do." he replied. Chloe grinned and leaned in to kiss Sark passionately. "Okay, okay," he said, pulling away reluctantly. Things were going to get...out of hand, if he didn't take control of things. "Now, where are we going?" Chloe's flushed face settled into a thoughtful pose. Silence fell over the both of them as they thought about where they could retreat.  
  
"My parents will know what to do." Chloe said at last. Sark looked at her startled.  
  
"Chloe we _can't_ go to your parents." He said, "We sort of have a...history."  
  
"It's okay Julian," she said, touching his arm gently, "They'll understand." Sark could do nothing against her pleading eyes. He nodded slowly.  
  
"Okay," he said, starting the car back up he drove onto the road and down the highway.  
  
  
  
Short chapter I know, but I thought it would be a perfect place to stop the chapter. Please review and tell me what you thought. I know Sark has gone soft awfully quickly in this chapter, but I wanted to show that he does have a softer side to him. Well, I'll let y'all go so you can press that pretty purple button that's calling your name.  
Coming up in **CONNECTED**: Sark meets Sydney and Vaughn once again. How will they take the fact that their daughter might be in love with the notorious terrorist? Stay tuned to find out.

Beautiful Tragedy: It was my intent to leave y'all wanting more. It garuntees me readers for future chapters. Lol.

Neptunestar: Originallly Devin _was_ going to be a good guy, but halfway through writing this story I decided to make him a bad guy. I thought it would make the story more interesting.

Wicked-sista, Sarks-Girl-89, Masta D, Eyghon, JunIonyra, Serendipity9, and Sallene: Thank you all for choosing to read this story and review it.


	17. Family Reunion

Chapter Sixteen  
  
Sydney was finished worrying. She had done so much of it that there was none left in her. She had moved on to being her usual tough as nails self, with small moments where she lost herself in memories of Chloe. Vaughn was still worried about her, but he knew that she no longer wanted to be held and comforted like a child. She wanted him to treat her as he had before Chloe's abduction.  
She was busy working balancing her checkbook; Vaughn was sitting on the couch watching the football game, when there was an urgent knocking on the door. Sydney looked up startled. Who could be at their door so early on a Sunday morning? Curiously, she stood and headed towards the entrance hall. The knocking came again and she opened the door slowly.  
A gasp escaped her lips as she stared at her daughter standing there, her face ashen and her arms wrapped around...  
  
"Sark!" Sydney exclaimed. She looked from her daughter to the enemy she had fought so hard against.  
  
"Momma." Chloe's childlike voice gained her mother's attention. Sydney quickly looked at her daughter, who looked like she was about to faint.  
  
"Oh Chloe," Sydney drew her daughter away from Sark and held her close. Tears slipped down her face.  
  
"Mom we have to get off the street." The urgency in Chloe's voice scared Sydney and she quickly pulled her inside. Sark followed, and Sydney glared at him, her eyes pure ice. His wife's exclamation had drawn Vaughn away from his game, and he stood inside the entrance hall, awaiting the feel of his daughter in his arms. He took Chloe from Sydney and hugged her tightly. Chloe cried out in pain and Vaughn pulled away from her.  
  
"What's wrong Chloe?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes. The pain in them, sharp and urgent. It was then that he noticed the blood soaked cloth around her arm. "What happened?" He asked, shooting daggers at Sark, who stood with his back to the closed door, keeping his distance from the small family reunion.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Vaughn asked, ready to strangle the Englishman.  
  
"Julian didn't do anything Dad." Chloe said, glancing from her father to Sark. There was trouble brewing in the Vaughn home, everybody could feel it. Sydney stepped between her husband and Sark, and gently laid her hand on Vaughn's arm. He knew that she wanted him to calm down; he knew that Chloe would explain everything soon. Vaughn tensed as he felt Chloe place all her weight on him.  
  
"Come on," he said, lifting her gently, "you need to lie down." Chloe slumped as he carried her and placed her gently on the couch. Sydney kneeled on the floor beside her and carefully untied the dressing around her arm.  
  
"Oh my god," she breathed, she looked up at Vaughn, her eyes frightened, "we need to get the bullet out Michael. If it stays in there much longer it'll get infected."  
  
"Why didn't you go to a hospital?" Vaughn asked Chloe, ignoring Sark, who had followed them into the living room and was now standing, somewhat awkwardly, beside the couch.  
  
"We couldn't," Chloe said, her voice was weak. "We couldn't risk the Covenant finding us." Sydney and Vaughn exchanged looks. Jack had been right.  
  
"We'll have to take it out ourselves." Vaughn said, sounding calmer than he felt. The Covenant truly was after his daughter. What would happen if they found out where she was? He couldn't think of such things right then, Chloe needed him now and he had to be there for her.  
  
"Michael, we can't." Sydney cried. It hurt her to see her little girl so pale and weak. She hadn't lost much blood, but the bullet was wedged into her arm good. They couldn't take the chance of permanently wounding her. But Vaughn wasn't listening to her. He was in the kitchen boiling water and sterilizing a deadly looking kitchen knife. Sydney hurried into the kitchen.  
  
"We can't do this Michael," she said, grabbing hold of her husband's arm, "We don't have anything to knock Chloe out with." Vaughn's jaw was set in a grim line.  
  
"You heard Chloe Syd; she's not going to a hospital." Vaughn shrugged off his wife's hand.  
  
"I'll call my father," she said, "He'll know what to do." Without waiting for her husband's reply, Sydney picked up the phone and dialed Jack's number.  
  
"Hello?" his voice calmed Sydney and she knew that her father would make everything okay.  
  
"Dad," she said, "you've got to come over quickly. Chloe's here."  
  
"What?" His voice was surprised and questioning at the same time. "I'll be right there." he hung up and Sydney placed the phone back in its cradle.  
  
"He's coming." She said, turning around to look at Vaughn. He nodded, but kept his attention on the water that was just starting to boil.  
  
"Damn it Sydney, why's he here?" He asked his voice distant. Sydney walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"I don't know." she said, "But we need to be civil towards Sark. For Chloe's sake."  
  
"After everything he's done?" Vaughn turned to look at her, "I don't think I can do that Syd." Sydney stood on her tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.  
  
"Yes you can." She said, "Besides, my father will have _plenty_ to say to him." Vaughn chuckled, but he couldn't stop glancing towards the living room.  
  
"I'll go check on Chloe." Sydney said, sensing her husband's anxiety. He smiled gratefully. Walking back towards the living room, Sydney paused, unable to take her eyes off the scene in front of her.  
Sark knelt on the floor beside Chloe, their hands entwined. He brushed the sweat off her forehead with his free hand and was whispering something in her ear. This was not the Sark that Sydney remembered. What had happened to him? Why was he acting like a gentleman towards her daughter?  
The front door opened with a bang, causing everybody in the house to jump. Sydney turned and found Jack hurrying into the living room. He caught sight of Sydney, Chloe, and then Sark.  
  
"You!" he cried, walking over to Sark. Grabbing his arm, he hauled Sark to his feet and pushed him against the wall. "What the hell did you do to my granddaughter?" he pushed Sark against the wall roughly.  
  
"Grandpa, don't hurt him, please." Chloe beseeched her grandfather. Her pleading voice seemed to subdue Jack and he hurried to her side. He took her hand in his, his whole manner changing as soon as he was beside her.  
  
"Are you alright Chloe?" he asked softly, "That bastard didn't hurt you did he?" he looked over his shoulder and glared at Sark, who was fixing his jacket.  
  
"No Grandpa, he didn't hurt me." Chloe replied.  
  
"Dad," Sydney walked over to her father, "dad we need your help. We don't know what to do." she lifted the bandage off Chloe's arm and let Jack inspect it.  
  
"It's deep," he said after a little while, "but I can get it out." He looked up at Vaughn who had emerged from the kitchen with the now sterilized knife. "I'll need your help Vaughn." Michael nodded solemnly. Jack picked Chloe up.  
  
"Where are you taking her?" Sark asked suddenly. Everybody stared at him. It was the first time he'd said anything.  
  
"It's none of your damn business." Jack barked, continuing to walk away.  
  
"I think I have a right to know." Sark replied, his voice just as harsh as Jack's.  
  
"Grandpa's just taking me to my room." Chloe's voice came out as a whisper, her eyes were drooping, and she was about to pass out at any moment. Jack cradled her gently and vanished through the doorway that led to the hallway. Vaughn followed him, leaving Sydney alone with Sark in the living room.  
Once certain that her daughter was out of hearing range, Sydney whirled around and faced her nemesis.  
  
"You son of a bitch," she cried, punching his jaw hard. Sark clutched his jaw, nursing it gently, his eyes glued to the ground. "What did you do to my daughter?" Her voice was filled with emotion, and Syd didn't know which emotion was more powerful. The hate she felt for Sark or the concern she had for Chloe.  
  
"Nothing," he said quietly.  
  
"Don't you _dare_ say nothing," she screamed, "I saw the bruises on her arm." It had sickened Sydney to see the fading bruises, which were a sickening yellow color, dotting her daughter's arm. Sark looked her in the eye and the emotion in his eyes punched Syd in the gut.  
  
"I'll admit that I beat Chloe the first few days." He said, "But I did nothing that would cause her serious harm." He broke off and glanced around the living room, which was filled with pictures of Chloe and her parents. He turned his eyes back on Sydney's. "I care about Chloe," he said, "and I promise you, I wouldn't let anything hurt her now."  
  
"But you did." Sydney said, her voice had lost the hard edge it held. Sark seemed so sincere that she couldn't help but think he really did care for Chloe.  
A loud, shrill scream split through the house. Sydney jumped, and Sark looked as if he was about to run in and save Chloe from whatever her father and grandfather were doing to her.  
  
"She'll be okay," Sydney said, more for herself than Sark. He looked at her.  
  
"I hope you're right."  
  
  
  
Yeah, another chapter finished. I got so into this one that I wrote all four pages in no time. Now I know you all were hoping for a huge fight to happen, but I hope you all enjoyed this chapter anyway, and that you will review.  
  
What's going to happen in the next chapter of CONNECTED: Chloe must recover from her impromptu surgery. What will happen while she recovers? Will Vaughn, Sydney, and Jack learn to accept the new Sark, or will they make him leave?

mrs-bristow: Thank you _so much_ for the compliment. I enjoy having new reviewers and I hope you'll continue to R&R.

tropicalwahinil: I _love_ recieving long reviews, thank you for that. I do plan on being a writer someday, if I can finish any of my original fics that is. Lol. Please continue to read this story and send in those lovely long reviews.

Neptunestar: I thought that line would be good to use in this story. It's such a classic Alias line, how could I _not_ use it? Anyway, glad you liked the chapter.

Csk8-20, zeriae, Anna, Masta D, cg's-gal-72689, RedRose121, Eyghon, Rock-Witch, Sarks-Girl-89, wicked-sista, and Ashqua: Thank you all for reviewing this story. I hope that you will continue to be loyal readers.


	18. Sentimental idiot

I already had this chapter written when I posted the last chapter, but was going to hold off on posting it. However, due to the overwhelming amount of begging y'all did for this chapter, I will post it now so that you will not have to wait any longer.

Chapter Seventeen  
  
Sark picked up a framed photo of Chloe in a beautiful sky blue prom dress and stared at it intently, memorizing the smile on her lips and the twinkle in her eyes as she stared up at the boy who had his arm wrapped around her waist. His thumb traced the outline of her face, remembering how it felt to hold her in his own arms and kiss her lips.  
  
_"I'm turning into a sentimental idiot._" He thought, placing the photo back on the fireplace mantel. He turned around and watched Sydney pace the floor. She bit the pad of her thumb in a show of nervousness. After the first loud, earsplitting scream, Chloe had fallen silent. It had been nearly thirty minutes, and still there was no word on how Chloe was doing. Sark felt as if he were in a hospital waiting room the tension was so thick. Sydney sat on the couch and buried her face in her trembling hands. Sark felt he should do something to soothe her raw nerves, but what do you say to comfort the woman who is like your arch nemesis?  
Footsteps sounded down the hall, and soon Jack and Vaughn emerged, haggard looking, but triumphant. Sydney stood hurriedly and walked over to her husband and father.  
  
"Is she okay?" She asked, wrapping her arms around Vaughn's waist and looking up at him with earnest eyes. Sark felt as if he was an intruder in the family's suffering.  
  
"She passed out as soon as we stuck the knife in. The bullet was wedged in close to the bone, but Jack was able to get it out without too much trouble." Vaughn said, pulling his wife close. "Chloe will be alright. She just needs to get some rest."  
Sark desperately wanted to go and see for himself that Chloe was all right, but he knew it was not his place to demand to see her.  
Sydney pulled away from her husband and headed for the hall. She paused right at the doorway and turned around.  
  
"Don't kill him." she said, looking from Jack to Vaughn than back at Jack. "He really does care about her." Sark knew it must have taken a lot for Sydney to say that, and to stand up for him, even if it was just a little bit. He could feel the eyes of both men on him, and he met them straight on. There was no way he would show his emotions around them. Jack stared Sark down, looking as if he would punch the Englishman out at any moment.  
  
"Why are you here?" Vaughn asked him as Sark leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms across his chest. What was Sark supposed to tell him? Was he supposed to say that he abducted Chloe, beat her, threatened to kill her, pumped her full of truth serum, fled from the Covenant with her, nearly lost all control of his body and raped her, almost got her killed, and cared about her so much that he believed himself to almost be in love with her? Was that something you said to the man who you had nearly killed so many times?  
  
"It's a long story." He said after a pause.  
  
"We've got a lot of time." Jack said, crossing his arms in a threatening pose. Sark sighed, did he really have to get into this right then when all he wanted to do was hold Chloe close to him and assure himself that was fine?  
It was a miracle to Sark when Sydney came back into the room. He wanted to hug her right then, she had saved him from getting into the story he did not want to tell. She looked at Sark, her eyes red rimmed and confused.  
  
"Chloe wants to see you." those words were like music to his ears. Sark nodded solemnly and walked past the family. Jack caught his arm in a vice like grip.  
  
"Hurt her, and I'll tear you limb from limb." He threatened Sark.  
  
"I assure you sir," Sark replied, prying Jack's hand from his arm, "that I would do nothing to harm Chloe." Jack continued to glare at him as he headed down the hallway. He didn't know which room he was going to, but thankfully, there were only three doors. Two of the doors were open, one a bathroom, the other an empty bedroom, and the last door was closed. He knocked on that one lightly before opening it and walking inside.  
The beside lamp was on and cast a soft glow through the room, showing off the teen style room. Posters hung on the soft lilac purple walls, showing off bands and movies, and various guys that Chloe obviously had found attractive at some time. There was a desk by door. It was covered in framed photos of Chloe and her friends and family and old textbooks and notebooks. The dresser was also covered with photos and little trinkets. The vanity that sat beside it held a sparse variety of make-up, some hair accessories, and a large jewelry box that lay open revealing a large variety of friendship bracelets. Finally, Sark's eyes landed on the bed that sat in front of him, and the woman that lay under the bright pink sheets.  
Chloe was still pale, but the color was slowly seeping back into her face. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was slow and steady. It seemed for all the world as if she were asleep. Her eyes fluttered open as Sark shut the door behind him, and a smile lit her face.  
  
"Hey," she said, her voice had regained some of its strength. Sark sat down on the side of the bed and took the hand that rested on top of the sheets in his. His gaze traveled up her arm, over her bare shoulder, to her face. He could see her black bra strap and thought of how easily it would be to simply take the covers off Chloe and touch her body.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, looking into her eyes, keeping his eyes off the bra strap.  
  
"Okay." She replied, her smile waning as she glanced over at the clean, white bandage that was wrapped tightly around her arm. Sark reached out and touched it gently. His fingers traced slow, sensual circles over the bandage and her skin. Chloe's eyes met his and Sark's hand traveled up her arm, briefly played with the bra strap that teased him, and finally cupped Chloe's face gently. Her eyes closed slowly as Sark moved closer. The sheets rose and fell with each breath she took, and they slowly slipped down until the top of her bra was showing. Sark's heart was hammering inside his chest, and his pulse was running wild. His lips touched hers gently, and he lost all control.  
  
  
  
Chloe felt as if she would faint once again as soon as Sark's lips touched her own. There was something different about his kiss, something that hadn't been there before. She opened her mouth as his tongue ran across her lower lip and couldn't help but moan as it brushed against her own. His hand ran down her neck and stopped at the base of her throat, his thumb resting on her pulse, which was running rampant. She felt his weight settle lightly atop her, his heat traveling through the sheets that covered her and permeating her body. His weight was settled on his hand that rested beside Chloe's head, gently clutching her hair. His other hand continued its journey. It lifted from her throat, and ran softly over her breast.  
Shocked, Chloe broke away from the kiss. Her eyes opened and she stared up at Sark uncertainly. So many emotions played across them that it made her want to cry. She bit her bottom lip and gently pushed Sark off her.  
  
"We can't do this," she said, pulling the sheet back up to cover her, "not here, not now." Sark's hand entwined with her own and he kissed her knuckles, his eyes never leaving her own. Chloe felt her resistance fading. With great effort, she pulled her hand out of his grasp. "You should go." She looked at the wall in front of her, afraid to meet his eyes, afraid that she would give in. The mattress shifted as Sark stood, and it wasn't until her bedroom door had closed that Chloe could breathe.  
  
  
  
Numb, Sark walked down the hallway, his mind still back with Chloe in her bedroom. Things had gotten out of hand. There was no way he could expect Chloe to let him go so far with her in her parents' home. He had allowed his emotions and his hormones to rule over him. He hadn't thought about where they were, or what Chloe thought. He had to sustain the need his body had. Her refusal to go further had been like a bucket of water on the fire that burned within him.  
  
"He's bee in there too long." Michael Vaughn's voice made Sark pause where he was in the hall. He was out of sight of the living room, but within clear range of hearing everything the three CIA agents said.  
  
"It'll be alright Vaughn," Sydney reassured her husband, "Chloe's not stupid enough to do anything with Sark."  
  
"How can you be so sure Syd?" Vaughn asked, "This is Sark we're talking about. Chloe doesn't have to give her consent for anything." Sark fumed at Vaughn's attack on his character.  
  
"Dixon's on his way with a team." Jack's voice joined those of Chloe's parents. Sark stiffened at the words he spoke. So they had called the CIA while he was in with Chloe. They planned to turn him in. Well Julian Sark did not, and would not stand for such things. He turned on his heel quickly and walked into Chloe's room without knocking. Chloe stood with her back to him, pulling out the drawers of her dresser. Her bra strap falling off her right shoulder. His eyes traveled down her bare back, taking in every inch of milky white skin. His hands itched to touch her, but he knew he had to get out of there, he could not linger. He cleared his throat, she turned around startled, and Sark saw more of her than he ever had. He couldn't tear his eyes from her, or the lacy bra she wore. Her eyes widened and she quickly pulled on the shirt that she held in her hands.  
  
"What is it?" She must have sensed that something was happening because she walked over to him and laid her hand on his arm.  
  
"I've got to get out of here." He said, brushing off her touch, though it pained him to do so.  
  
"Why?" Her eyes sought his, but for some reason Sark could not meet them.  
  
"Your grandfather called the CIA." He spat out, looking at her quickly, than turning away.  
  
"Why would he do that?" Chloe's tone let Sark know that she was questioning herself, not him. However, Sark could not remain quiet.  
  
"Because I'm an enemy of the United States," he replied gruffly, "remember Chloe, I'm a terrorist."  
  
"No you're not Julian," Chloe said, "You're not a terrorist. You're..."  
  
"Would you shut the hell up?" Sark cried, he couldn't take what she was saying. Couldn't understand why she was saying these things about him. Hadn't he been cruel to her, beaten her, why was she being kind to him now?  
  
As soon as the words left his mouth, Sark wished that he could take them back. Chloe's eyes filled with tears, and she turned away from him.  
  
"I'm sorry Chloe," he reached out and touched her shoulder gently, but she shrugged off his hand forcefully. But Sark would not be brushed off so easily. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her around to face him. "You've got to come with me." he said, "We have to figure out what the Covenant wants with you."  
  
"I can't," Chloe said, "I'm home Sark, I can't leave my parents again. Do you know the toll my disappearance took on them? I can't do that to them again." She shook her head forcefully. "No, I'm not going with you."  
  
"If you don't come the Covenant is gonna track you down. And when they find you they won't show your family any mercy." Sark said, "Coming with me is your only hope." Chloe glanced towards the bedroom door. Sark could clearly see the battle raging within her, and he knew what to say to win. "I love you."  
  
  
  
Wasn't that a beautiful cliffhanger? Lol. I love leaving you all hanging. It guarantees y'all coming back for more. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought.

csk8-20: You are too a loyal reader, though I will admit you are obsessive. Lol. Everytime I check my email I look for a review from you. Keep reviewing, because I love reading what you have to say.

RedRose121: I thought people would be dissapointed there wasn't a big fight scene between Chloe's parents and Sark. Your review assured me that I wrote the right thing.

JunIonyra, wicked-sista, Illyria04, Sarks-Girl89, Eyghon, and poe-baby: Thank you all for reviewing, and I hope you will continue to review as this story continues.


	19. Leaving it all behind

I can't believe how quickly I got this chapter posted! My creative juices are flowing right now! Lol. Well, here's the chapter you all were anxiously waiting for.  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
"I love you." The words rattled around in Chloe's head. They were heavy words, words full of power and meaning. But did he really mean it? Did Sark really mean that he loved her?  
She looked in his eyes to see if he meant it. Yes, there was something new in the way he looked at her, but was it truly love.  
Chloe had a choice to make. Her heart wanted to go with Sark. He loved her after all, that is if he was telling the truth. But her mind told her to stay where she was. Hadn't her parents suffered enough? Did she really want them to have to go back to worrying about her? No. But what about Sark? She loved him, she was sure of it. Would she lose him if she didn't go?  
She turned away from Sark's penetrating gaze. She needed to think. She needed to go over her choices. There was no right answer to her problem. It was a completely lose-lose situation. If she went with Sark, her parents would think she betrayed them. If she stayed, she would never see Sark again, she was certain of it.  
Unsure of if she was doing the right thing, Chloe turned back around to face Sark.  
  
"Okay." She said with a sigh, "I'll go." Sark nodded quickly. He obviously knew how hard the decision was for her to make. "But you have to promise me something." She said before he could say anything.  
  
"What?" he asked.  
  
"When this is all over," she paused, unsure of how to word what she wanted to say.  
  
"We don't have much time Chloe," Sark said, "What do you want?"  
  
"I want you to quit." She said quickly.  
  
"What are you talking about? Quit what?" Sark looked as confused as Chloe felt.  
  
"I want you to quit being the bad guy." She said.  
  
"I can't stop being what I am Chloe," he argued.  
  
"You promise me or I'm not going." Chloe crossed her arms in front of her and stared Sark down. "Promise me Julian." Sark sighed.  
  
"Fine." He snapped, "Now let's go. We don't have much time." Chloe nodded. She pulled an old, beat up hot pink backpack from under her bed and quickly stuffed some clothing inside it. Sark looked around the room warily. His eyes shifted from the closed door to the closed window. When Chloe reached inside the desk and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, he snapped.  
  
"What the hell are you doing?" He whispered roughly, "We've got to go!" His voice was full of urgency.  
  
"I know," Chloe said, writing on the paper quickly, "but I can't let my parents worry." She signed the note with a flourish and turned to face Sark. "Let's go." Sark walked over to the window and opened it effortlessly. A warm breeze swept through the room, causing the curtains to billow. Chloe had snuck out of the same window so many times, that she was able to jump to the ground with ease. Sark landed on the ground beside her, grabbed her hand, and led her away from the house. Chloe looked behind her at the lights that were on in the living room. Had she done the right thing?  
  
  
  
There was a light rap on the door. Jack hurried to open the door and ushered Dixon and three other agents in silently.  
  
"Where is he?" Dixon asked, gun at the ready.  
  
"Chloe's room." Jack replied, his own gun clutched tightly in his hand.  
  
"Don't hurt Chloe." Sydney said, always scared for her daughter's safety. She held a gun in her own hand, but hoped she wouldn't have to use it. Dixon nodded quickly and led his team down the hall. Sydney, Vaughn, and Jack followed behind them. One of the agents kicked in the door and the team swarmed into the room, their guns raised.  
  
"There's nobody here." Dixon said looking around the empty room. The open window caught his attention. "They made a run for it." Sydney quickly entered the room. She saw the window and her heart stopped.  
  
"Chloe?" She looked around the room, hoping to see her daughter, but she knew she wasn't there. "How could she go with him?" she looked to her husband for answers, but Vaughn could only hold her and comfort her as the tears fell from her eyes.  
Jack sighed and shook his head. A piece of paper lying on the desk caught his attention. He picked it up and read it quickly.  
  
"Sydney." He called to his daughter. She looked up at him, tears slipping down her face. He handed her the note. She took it with trembling hands and read it.  
  
_"Dear mom and dad,"_ it said, "_I know you will not understand why I'm doing this, but I have to go with Julian. Please don't worry. You have taught me all I'll ever need to know about protecting myself. I love you both. Chloe."_ Sydney looked up at her father.  
  
"She doesn't want us to worry," Sydney shook her head. A humorless laugh escaped her lips, "Like that's gonna happen. How can I _not_ worry about her when she's with Sark?" She looked at Vaughn. "How could she do this to us?" she cried.  
  
"I don't know Syd." Vaughn shook his head, "I don't know."  
  
  
  
The sun was rising above the trees, casting a pinkish, purplish glow over the world. Sark stopped where he was and looked down at Chloe, who was leaning on him tiredly. He looked around for a place to rest. They were a couple yards away from a deserted rural road. They had walked the whole night, trying to put as much distance between the Vaughn home and them as possible. Now, they were in the middle of nowhere. Both of them tired and hungry. A mile or so down the road, Sark noticed a small, out of the way, motel where they could get a room.  
  
"Come on Chloe," he said to the tired woman, "just a bit further." He took more of her weight on him, and basically carried her the whole way to the motel. After checking in, Sark carried Chloe to their room and placed her on the bed. She curled up instinctively and tried to burrow beneath the covers. Smiling, he pulled the covers down, and then up and over her body. He sat on the bed and pulled off his shoes. Italian loafers really were _not_ good walking shoes. However, he would have to bear it a bit longer, or, heaven forbid, buy a pair of sneakers. Sark shed his jacket, placed it on the corner of the square headboard, and lay down on the bed. He turned on his side and wrapped an arm around Chloe's sleeping form. Sark closed his eyes and tried to sleep, but the filth of the room would not let him sleep.  
When he had first opened the door to the room, he could not help grimacing. The dingy green carpet was covered with stains that Sark did not even want to guess at what had made them. The bathroom was too dirty to even imagine using. Burn marks, most likely from cigarettes, covered the tub, and the toilet looked rusty and stained. At least the bed was a bit soft, but Sark did not even want to think about whether or not the sheets had been washed. The motel was defiantly not a place you checked into for a good nights sleep. It was more of a place where couples would check in for a late night tryst.  
He kissed Chloe's temple softly and curled up next to her.  
  
  
  
Moaning sleepily, Chloe opened her eyes. A warm arm was slung over her waist, and a strong hand rested on top of hers. Confused, she looked around the room, and the events of the night before flooded back. She looked over at Sark, who was sleeping soundly. Sometime during the night, he had shed his shirt, which now lay in a heap on the floor. His broad chest rose and fell rhythmically, and Chloe found she could not take her eyes off him.  
Slowly, she reached out and placed a slim hand over his heart, feeling the steady beating. She leaned down and kissed him softly on the lips, careful not to wake him. He looked so peaceful and childish laying there, his eyes shut tightly, his lips turned up in a soft smile. He looked almost innocent.  
Sark sleepily turned his head towards her and his eyes opened.  
  
"Morning sleepy." She smiled down at him. He reached up and ran his hand through her hair.  
  
"Morning." He said. Gently he pulled Chloe's head down until their lips were inches apart. Chloe melted as soon as his lips brushed against hers gently. She sighed contentedly and pulled away from him. She didn't want to risk things progressing into what had almost happened the night before.  
  
"We should get going." She said pushing the covers off herself and standing. Sark grabbed her hand as she walked past him to get to the bathroom, and he pulled her back down. Chloe landed on top of Sark, her hair falling around their faces, her hands braced against his rock solid chest.  
  
"I think we can afford a few more hours." He said with an impish grin. All of a sudden, he rolled over so that he was on top of Chloe. She giggled nervously as his eyes bored into hers. Her eyes closed on their own as Sark leaned in and kissed her passionately. His fingers ran through her hair, and his tongue explored her mouth. Chloe moaned softly, her hands running up his arms and circling his neck. Her fingers played with the soft hairs at the nape of his neck, gently tracing circles over the sensitive skin. Sark slowly unbuttoned her dark blue blouse, his mouth leaving hers to trail soft kisses down her throat, across her breasts, and down her smooth stomach.  
Feelings that Chloe had never felt before flooded her body. She was losing all control over herself and the situation. Emotions surged through her mind. Love, passion, and need coursed through her. She couldn't help moaning as Sark's fingers brushed her bra straps off her shoulders. Things were going too fast, she had to put a stop to it, but she was paralyzed by his touch.  
Sark grabbed her arms tightly, crushing her body to his. Chloe let out a yelp as his hand tightened around her wound. He pulled back quickly and looked at her uncertainly.  
  
"Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly, his eyes searching hers. Tears of pain pricked at her eyes, but Chloe forced them away.  
  
"I'm...I'm fine." She said, pulling away from Sark and rubbing her arm gently. "It's just sore, that's all." She sat up on the bed and buttoned her shirt back up. "We should go." She said looking over her shoulder at Sark. He nodded slowly.  
  
"I'll let you change first." He said inclining his head towards the bathroom.  
  
"You go ahead." Chloe said as she searched through her backpack and pulled out a hairbrush.  
  
"Okay." Sark stood. Chloe blushed as she saw the affect she had on him and looked away quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that Sark would be taking a cold shower that morning, or rather afternoon.  
  
  
  
Alrighty, so there is the latest chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please review and tell me what you thought.

PS. Has anybody else noticed that Chloe and Sark do all thier kissing lying down? Hmm, I wonder what that could mean?

Beautiful Tragedy: I wouldn't get my hopes up about Sark loving Chloe. After all, this is Sark we're talking about.

Sarks-Girl-89: I'm glad you're not upset about what I said. All too often people take constructive criticism the wrong way.

Rock-Witch: It's good to know people enjoy what I write. Thank you so much for the compliment, and I will take your suggestion into consideration.

Eyghon, Masta D, serindipity9, cj's-gal-72689, and neptunestar: Thank you all for taking the time to read and review this story.


	20. It all comes crashing down

Oh my gosh, another chapter out! I cannot believe how quickly I'm getting these posted. Well, I should let you all get to what you really want to read. So, here you go.  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
Chloe studied the screen of the laptop computer. She sat on the bed of the hotel room, the bed where she and Sark had become very close to crossing lines that, in her mind, should never be crossed. Before leaving her parents' home, Sark had been able to knick his laptop from the Ferrari that he had had to abandon.  
Chloe studied the rows of names, dates, and numbers. It was all so confusing. What was it supposed to mean? With a frustrated sigh, she fell back on the bed and covered her face with her hands.  
  
"Why is this so confusing?" she yelled at the ceiling. The door to the room opened and Sark entered with a bag of take-out in his hand.  
  
"Why is what so confusing?" he asked, placing the food on the rickety table that sat in the corner of the room.  
  
"The stuff on this stupid disk." Chloe said, ready to smash the laptop against the wall. The smell of french-fries wafted through the room and her mouth started to water. She got off the bed and headed over to the table. Before she could reach into the bag and wrap her fingers around a french-fry, Sark grabbed her hand.  
  
"Nope," Sark shook his head, a teasing smile spreading across his lips, "what do you say?" Chloe stuck her bottom lip out and lowered her eyelashes at Sark.  
  
"Please." She said, doing her best impression of a little girl. Sark pulled her to him and kissed her lips teasingly. Just as Chloe was getting into the kiss, he pulled away and dangled the bag in front of her face. "Thank you." she took the bag from him and sat down on the bed. She tore into the food eagerly and wolfed down a burger quickly.  
  
"Breathe Chloe." Sark laughed as she started in on the fries.  
  
"Sorry," she said sheepishly, wiping a bit of ketchup off the corner of her mouth, "I'm just really hungry."  
  
"Could have fooled me." He teased, leaning in and kissing off a bit of the ketchup that Chloe had missed. Chloe leaned back in to meet his lips, and kissed him hungrily. She was almost as hungry for his kiss as she was for the Big Mac and fries. The events of that afternoon had left her aching for more. She needed to feel his lips on hers, needed to be reassured that she had done the right thing, made the right decision.  
She pulled away and looked Sark in the eyes.  
  
"I love you." She whispered. "I know I shouldn't, but I do." Sark looked down at the faded old quilt that covered the bed and sighed. "What is it?" Chloe asked. She was worried. Had she said the wrong thing? "Julian, what's wrong?" she needed him to answer her, reassure her that everything was all right.  
  
"I lied to you." he said, refusing to look up and meet her eye.  
  
"What?" She said. There was no doubt she was confused.  
  
"I lied when I said I love you." Sark looked up at her, and then quickly looked away again. Chloe could only stare at him, angry and confused. "I only said that because I needed you to come with me."  
  
"Why?" She asked. Chloe desperately wanted Sark to look at her. She needed to see his eyes, needed to see whatever emotions were running through them.  
  
"Because there's no way I can figure out what's on this disk myself." He said, "And because I'm selfish. I wanted you with me." he looked at her and Chloe couldn't hold back the tears that pricked at her eyes. The tears fell down her cheeks in slow, large drops.  
  
"You lied to me?" She said, still not believing it. She looked at Sark, uncertain of how she felt about what he had just said. He reached out to brush the tears from her face, but Chloe pushed his hand away angrily. "How could you do that? How could you look me in the eye and tell me that you love me?" She felt like strangling Sark. She wanted to hit him, kill him, but she also wanted to hold him and cry into his shoulder.  
She stood up, unable keep from fidgeting, and paced the room. Anger all of a sudden took over her, and she rounded on Sark.  
  
"I betrayed my _family_ to come with you!" she cried, "Damn it Sark I thought you loved me. God, I almost _slept_ with you." She fell down into one of the chairs that sat next to the table and buried her face in her hands. "How could you do that to me?"  
  
  
  
He could understand her anger and frustration. He was frustrated with himself. When he had heard her whisper those three words, those words that held so much power, his heart had jumped into his throat. He wanted her to say it over and over again. He wanted her to love him, and he wanted so badly to be able to love her in return. But love was a foreign thing to him. He had never known love in his life, never been loved or loved another.  
Sark stood, walked over to Chloe, and knelt before her. He took one of her hands in his and traced his thumb in lazy circles around her knuckles.  
  
"I care about you Chloe. I care about you so much that I didn't want to do this by myself. I need you Chloe." He said, pleading with her, hoping beyond hope that she would look at him.  
  
"How can I believe that?" She asked, shaking her head. "How can I believe anything else you ever say?" Sark felt like crying. The one person who would stand by his side, the one person he knew he could trust, was disgusted by him. Chloe pulled her hand out of his and wiped away the tears that were falling onto her jeans. Sark itched to reach out and take one of her trembling hands in his, but he knew she would only pull away again.  
  
"I know you're angry with me Chloe," he said, looking down at the floor. "What can I do to make you trust me again?" He searched her eyes hopefully for some sign of compassion or care.  
  
"I don't know Sark," she said shaking her head, "I just don't know."  
  
  
  
Chloe needed air. The room was too stifling, too filled with Sark's presence. Hours had passed and they had not spoken since he had made his confession. She sat on a chair, looking out of the dirty, dingy window at the velvety black night. She bit her bottom lip, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Sark lay on the bed, his breathing even and deep, his chest rising and falling with each breath. Chloe glanced over at him and her heart raced.  
  
"_I have to get out of here_." She thought tearing her gaze from him, "_If I stay here much longer I'll go crazy."_ Silently, so as not to wake Sark, she stood, opened the door, and walked out into the balmy night air.  
  
The sound of singing crickets calmed her frazzled nerves, and the gentle night breeze brushed the hair out of her face. Chloe breathed in deeply, inhaling a lungful of warm air. Just stepping outside the room did a lot to calm Chloe. She felt more serene and her heart and mind stopped racing.  
Slowly, she walked the few steps towards the road. It would be so easy to just retrace the steps she and Sark had taken, and return home. But even as she thought of that, she knew she could never leave him. No matter how bad his lie was, Chloe could not stop loving him. She was so deeply in love with Julian Sark that she would never be able to climb out. It was as if she was trapped in a deep, never ending hole.  
  
_"Why are you doing this to me God?"_ She thought as she looked up at the star strewn sky, _"Why did you make me fall in love with him?"_ However, there were no answers to her questions, only silence. Chloe felt weak. She sank down onto the rocky earth beside the road. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her head in the small space between her knees. Fat tears fell down her cheeks and landed on the dirt below her, creating small pools of mud. Her shoulders shook with tremendous sobs as all her frustrations fell to the ground with her tears.  
She rubbed her arm, which was still sore whether from the spur-of-the- moment surgery or Sark gripping it in the heat of passion, she didn't know. With a sigh, Chloe tilted her head back so that she could star at the sky and the clouds that slowly drifted over the crescent moon.  
  
"What are you doing out here?" Sark's voice behind her startled Chloe. She whirled her head around to see him, but his face was shrouded in darkness.  
  
"I had to think about some things." She said, turning away from him and focusing on the growing clouds. A strip of lightening split the sky and thunder shook the ground. Chloe felt the shaking deep within her soul.  
  
She loved thunderstorms. The smell of the rain, the bright lights that ripped through the sky, and the loud booms that hurt your ears, all of it sunk deep within her. Large fat raindrops fell down on her upturned face, cooling her skin and mingling with the sweat that had started to bead upon her forehead. She didn't know where her tears ended and the raindrops began. The rain soaked through her shirt, making her shirt cling to her torso.  
  
"Come on," Sark said, reaching down and forcing Chloe to her feet, "you're getting soaked." Chloe pulled her arm out of his grip.  
  
"Don't touch me." she screamed at him, her anger rushing back into her at his touch. He pulled back, startled, or scared, maybe both. "I am this close to killing you _right_ now!" Her words were nearly drowned out by a loud crash of thunder. A bolt of lightening slashed the sky, and Sark's face was illuminated briefly.  
  
"Chloe please." He cried, shouting to be heard over thunder, "Just come back inside." He reached for her again, but Chloe pulled back.  
  
"No," she yelled, "I'm tired of this Sark. I'm tired of you telling me what to do and ordering me around."  
  
"I don't..." Sark started.  
  
"Yes you do." Chloe cried. The rain pressed her hair flat against her face, and the wind had begun to pick up, making her shiver.  
  
"I don't mean to." He said, "Chloe I...I love you." Chloe slapped Sark hard. Water droplets sprayed everywhere as her hand met his face.  
  
"Don't you _dare_ say that to me. Not after what you did." She yelled, her voice ringing through the air.  
  
"I may not have meant it before Chloe, but I mean it now." he cried. Lightening cast his face in a brief flash of light, and Chloe could clearly see the anguish in his eyes.  
  
"And how the_ hell_ do you expect me to believe that?" She screamed, fresh tears falling down her face.  
  
"I don't expect you to." Sark said, "But I'm hoping you will."  
  
"Well keep hoping you son of a bitch!" she yelled, "Because I'm _never_ going to forgive you." She brushed past Sark angrily, but he grabbed her arm before she could walk too far from him. "Let me go you bastard." Chloe tried to yank her arm free, but, as it was her wounded arm, it only increased the pain that had been coursing through it.  
  
"Would you just listen to me?" Sark yelled. Chloe turned away from him.  
  
"Stop being so damn stubborn Chloe." He pulled her around to face him. "I didn't mean what I said before, but I mean it now. I'm in love with you. I have been ever since I first laid eyes on you. You're strong and independent, and you don't take crap from anybody. You're smart and the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on. Every time I kiss you, I feel like I'm in heaven. I've never felt that way before."

Chloe closed her eyes tightly, trying so hard not to listen to what Sark was saying. It was hard. Everything he was saying was exactly what she had always wanted a man to say to her. It was her dream for a man to confess his undying love to her. To recite a speech of just how in love with her he was, and name all the attributes he loved about her. She had dreamed of this moment forever, and now it was happening. But she had never imagined it would happen this way. She had never imagined that he would make this speech after telling her only hours before that he had not meant it when he first told her he loved her.  
  
"Shut up." She whispered quietly, unable to take anymore.  
  
"I'm telling the truth this time Chloe." Sark said, cupping her face gently with his hand. His thumb ran against her bottom lip slowly. "I really, truly love you." he leaned in and kissed her lips gently. She pulled away from his kiss reluctantly; too afraid she wouldn't be able to resist him any longer.  
  
"I can't do this Sark." She said looking him in the eye. "I love you, but I can't trust you anymore." His grip on her arm loosened and Chloe hurried away from him.  
  
  
  
Oh no, could there be trouble in paradise for the lovebirds? Please review and tell me what you thought.  
  
Csk8-20: I cannot tell you how hard your review made me laugh. You never cease to make me smile with what you write. Thank you so much. Unfortunately, I must continue to disappoint you. Chloe will continue to pull away from Sark for quite awhile.  
  
Alias-Addict-4-Life: Thank you for reviewing, I love receiving reviews from new people and I'm glad you liked the story.  
  
Sarks-Girl-89: Thank you for reviewing and offering suggestions of what you'd like to see happen in this story. I will consider your suggestion, but I make no guarantees.  
  
Beautiful Tragedy: I didn't go too in detail about what Sydney and Vaughn were feeling because I wanted to focus more on Chloe and Sark than anything. However, I will try to put in more about them later on.  
  
Wicked-sista, RedRose121, Serindipity9, cg's-gal-72689, and Sallene: Thank you ALL for taking the time to read this story and review. You all mean so much to me and I love hearing what you have to say about my story. Thank you.


	21. Trouble in Paradise

Chapter Twenty  
  
Watching Chloe run from him made Sark's heart break. He truly did love her, he realized it now, but perhaps he should have waited to say it. Perhaps he should have waited until the shock of his confession had worn off, when Chloe was thinking more clearly. But no, he had dumped it on her in the midst of her anger, hoping it would help to subdue her. However, it had only served in angering her further.  
Sark felt like a bug, a toad, a rodent, and every other foul thing there was in the world. He stood there, staring at the spot where Chloe had stood only seconds before. He loved the way the rain had beaded upon her eyelashes, the way her shirt hugged her, clinging to her body like a second skin. He loved everything about her, even her bouts of anger. But she would never trust him again, never believe what he said.  
He shook his head, turned around, and headed back to the hotel room.  
  
"Open up you damn door!" Sark couldn't control the smirk that covered his face as he watched Chloe beat on the door. She must have forgotten to take the spare room key when she first left the room. He walked up to her and unlocked the door for her. Chloe barely looked at him as she marched through the door, rummaged through her backpack, and slammed the door behind her as she locked herself in the bathroom.  
Sighing heavily, Sark pulled off his sopping shirt and tossed it on the floor. He fell back on the bed and flipped the TV on, wondering how long Chloe would remain locked up in the bathroom. She came out sooner than Sark had thought.  
The door opened with a bang and Chloe walked out into the room in a huff, her wet clothing balled up in her hand. She threw her clothes on the floor beside Sark's and sat at the table, instead of sitting beside him on the bed. She refused to look at him, and stared out of the window at the driving rain. She tried to look defiant, but Sark could see the small tears that crept down her face.  
He wished he could walk over to Chloe and hold her tightly to him. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew that as long as he was the source of her pain he could never do that.  
  
  
  
She couldn't take him looking at her. Chloe tried desperately not to look at him, to show him how angry she was at him, but she couldn't. It was too hard to hate Sark, not when she was so hopelessly in love with him. She could feel the tears sliding down her face, but tried to dismiss them as water dripping from her still wet hair. She stole a quick glance at Sark and wished that he would put a shirt on. Her resistance was already too weak, she didn't need his chiseled abs and rock hard chest weakening her even further.  
The rain pounded on the window, and Chloe watched it intently, anything to keep her mind off Sark, who was sitting there staring at her. But she couldn't shake the feeling of his eyes off her.  
  
"Can we please talk about this Chloe?" His voice startled her, but she refused to show it. She ignored him, even though it was very hard. "Come on Chloe, you can't be mad at me forever."  
  
"Oh I'm sorry," she said turning to look at him, her eyes mocking, "I can't understand you, I don't speak Jackass." She turned away from him again and watched the darkness outside the window. She could hear Sark's heavy sigh.  
  
_"Good,"_ she thought, _"at least he's hurting a little bit."_  
  
"Why do you have to be such a bitch about this?" Sark said. Chloe turned sharply, her eyes blazing.  
  
"Excuse me?" She said, her eyebrows raised in question. "What did you call me?"  
  
"Oh, so _now_ you understand what I say." Sark said, his own eyes were iced over, and there was no more smirk on his handsome face.  
  
"You're a bastard Sark." She growled, "No wonder your dad abandoned you and your mom was a crack addict."  
  
"Who told you that?" Sark barked, jumping up and approached Chloe threateningly. But she wouldn't let him intimidate her, no matter how frightening he was.  
  
"Who do you think?" Chloe asked, standing to meet Sark. She straightened up to her full height, but was still considerably smaller than he was. "I was locked up in a cell for how long? Who else, besides you did I have to talk to?" She looked up at him, her lips pursed together. Sark growled at her, knowing full well who had told her about his parents.  
  
  
  
"Don't you _ever_ talk about my family _again!"_ he cried. Unable to control the rage that flowed through his veins, Sark's hand flung out and slapped Chloe hard across the face. Her hand flew up to her face and touched the red mark on her cheek gingerly. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. As soon as he looked into her eyes, Sark regretted his actions. He hated that he was unable to control his temper, that he lashed out at everything that sparked even a bit of anger in him.  
  
"You know what," Chloe said, her voice dangerously low, "I can just call my parents right now and the CIA will be all over this place in a matter of minutes."  
  
"You wouldn't do that, I know you Chloe." Sark said shaking his head, "You would never turn me in to the CIA."  
  
"Oh I wouldn't would I?" She asked, her arms crossed in front of her defiantly. Sark didn't like the tone she was using, and he had to admit he was a bit scared.  
  
"No you wouldn't." he said. Chloe walked past him and rummaged through her bag. She soon emerged with a cell phone in her hand.  
  
"Still think I won't do it?" She asked, opening the phone and turning it on. She began dialing and Sark knew he had to do something, fast. He could hear the ringing on the other end. Without thinking, Sark pushed Chloe down on the bed and tried to tear the phone from her hand.  
  
"Get off me you son-of-a-bitch." She cried, trying to push Sark off her. He could feel her feet digging into his stomach as she tried to kick him off her.  
  
"Give me the damn phone." Sark said. He grabbed her hand and, with some effort, managed to push the hang up button. Chloe jabbed the heel of her hand into Sark's chest in a feeble attempt to get him off her, but it did nothing. It barely even fazed him. He grabbed her wrists and held them down on the bed as she tried to hit him. Tears fell down her face and she stopped struggling as sobs racked her body.  
  
"I can't do this anymore." She cried in-between sobs. "I can't do this Julian." Sark paused. She had called him Julian. She hadn't called him that since they started fighting. Was it a sign that she was forgiving him?  
Sark released her wrists and leaned over Chloe. He wiped away her tears gently. He loved the feel of her skin beneath his fingers, so soft and smooth, like silk. He wanted to kiss her so badly, but he was afraid that he would be pushing the line if he did.  
  
"Please Julian, don't make me do this anymore." Fresh tears fell down Chloe's face. Sark looked down at her and felt his heart break at the sight of her tears. He stood and pulled her to him. Wrapping his arms around her tightly, Sark held her close to him and let her cry into his shoulder.  
  
"I promise Chloe," He said whispered, "I promise."  
  
  
  
Sydney sat on Chloe's bed, looking around the room in a trance. Her daughter had chosen Sark over her own mother! She couldn't believe it; it was still trying to sink in that Chloe had left. She had thought that Chloe had her priorities straight, that she knew what was important, but Sydney had been wrong. Her daughter had betrayed them at the first opportunity and had fled with the man that the CIA had been trying to catch forever. What was Sydney to do? How was she going to find them? Surely, they couldn't have gotten far, could they?  
The ringing of the telephone broke through Sydney's thoughts. She jumped for the telephone on the bedside table.  
  
"Hello?" she said, "Chloe?" Sydney was anxious to hear her daughter's voice. She wanted Chloe to tell her where she was, and to ask Sydney to come get her. There were voices on the other end of the line, somebody was arguing. Her eyes widened in surprise. It really was Chloe on the other end! She was arguing with Sark. All Sydney could hear was her daughter yelling at Sark to get off her, but that was all she needed to hear. She was about to yell into the phone, when she was cut off. Not wasting any time, Sydney ran into the living room where Vaughn sat with Dixon and Jack. The three men looked up at her, and, at the sight of her wide eyes, jumped into action.  
  
"Alright," Dixon said pressing a few buttons on the laptop that sat before him on the coffee table, "give me a few minutes and I should be able to trace where the call came from."  
  
"It's a good thing we set up that tracer when we did." Jack said leaning over Dixon's shoulder. Vaughn walked over to Sydney and looked at her worriedly.  
  
"What did you hear?" he asked, seeming to read her mind.  
  
"He was hurting her Michael," she said, her voice choked, "I swear I'm gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch." Her jaw was clenched tightly, and the veins were standing out on her neck. Vaughn had never seen his wife so angry, and he had to admit, he was a bit scared.  
  
"We've got 'em." Dixon said. "They're at the Starlight Motel, not fifty miles from here. I should be able to get a team up and over there in a couple minutes."  
  
  
  
Oh what beautiful things cliffhangers are. Lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It's not exactly how I was hoping it would turn out, but it's the best I could do without turning the whole thing into a soap opera, which was the direction I was kinda heading in without even realizing it. Well, I hope you all will review and tell me what you thought.  
PS. I know Chloe forgave Sark pretty quickly. I didn't mean for her to, but that's how it turned out.  
PPS. Short chapter I know, but I promise the next one will be longer.

Reesie06, KatelynEmma, moni, and M.B: I love receiving reviews from new people, and I am so happy that you all enjoyed the story. I hope that you will all continue to read and review as this story progresses.

Eyghon, wicked-sista, Sarks-Girl-89, Alias-Addict-4-Life, cg's-gal-72689, Serindipty9, Rock-Witch, neptunestar, and RedRose121: Thank you all for reviewing this chapter. Your thoughts mean more to me than you will ever know. I hope you all continue to review.


	22. My promise

**Not So Important Author's Note**: Okay, so I don't know if Sark really does have a ring on his finger, but for the sake of this chapter, he does. Confused, don't worry; you'll understand what I'm talking about in a second.  
  
Chapter Twenty-One  
  
Chloe's tears slid off Sark's bare shoulder and down his arm and back, but he didn't care, he just continued to hold her tightly. It felt good to have her in his arms again, even though it had been a few hours since he'd last held her. His hand ran over her back in slow, comforting circles. With a sniffle, Chloe pulled away from him, and Sark immediately felt cold. She wiped her eyes with trembling hands and looked down at the floor.  
  
"This is too hard Julian," she said softly, "I can't keep having you break my heart." She looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "Every time I think you love me you do something that makes me think otherwise."  
  
"Chloe..." Sark started.  
  
"No," she shook her head, "let me finish." She took a deep breath and continued. "I love you, but if things keep going like they are, I don't think I can be with you. I've given it some serious thought and...I'm going home. I'm sure you can figure out the disk by..."  
  
"Listen to me Chloe," He interrupted her. He took her hand in his and, when she looked back down at the floor, he forced her to look at him. "I know now that I love you and I _promise_ I will _never_ knowingly hurt you again. You have my word."  
  
"But how can I believe that?" she asked, her eyes beginning to water again. Sark looked down at their entwined hands. The slim gold band that he wore on his ring finger caught his attention. That ring had been his father's wedding band, and it was the only link that Sark had to the father he never knew.  
He let go of Chloe's hand long enough to pull the ring off, then took her hand in his again.  
  
"You see this ring?" he said. She looked at him and nodded. "This is my promise to you." he slid it on her right ring finger slowly. "I won't hurt you again Chloe, this ring signifies that."  
  
  
  
The weight of the ring seemed to bring the realness of the situation crashing down on Chloe. She stared at the gold band, her eyes misting. It seemed for all the world like a proposal, but she knew better than that.  
  
_ "A girl can dream can't she?"_ she thought with a small smile. She looked up at Sark, and her heart swelled. Looking into his eyes, she knew he truly loved her. Sliding her hand up his chest, she pulled his head down and kissed him slowly and lovingly. His hands encircled her waist, but Chloe didn't want them there. She took his hands in hers and moved them slowly up her torso until they were above her breasts.  
Sark pulled away from the kiss and looked down at her, uncertain yet anxious.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her. Chloe was at a loss for words. Her emotions, and hormones, were ruling her, and she could do nothing to stop them. She nodded her head slowly. Sark smiled and captured her lips with his own.  
Chloe's knees went weak as his lips touched hers, and she gripped Sark's shoulders tightly to keep from falling. A moan escaped her throat as his left hand brushed her breast, and she arched into him. His tongue dueled with her own as his hands traveled back down to her waist and tugged at the bottom of her shirt. Chloe pulled away from the kiss and allowed him to pull her shirt off. She could feel him looking at her, and she met his gaze fearlessly.  
Never before had Chloe allowed a man to see her this way. She had never even let her dates touch her in the way Sark was touching her now. His hands were gliding over her stomach and back, inching slowly toward her bra strap. Chloe couldn't control her hands anymore than she could control her emotions. It was as if her hands had minds of their own as they traveled over Sark's rock solid abs and chest.  
It felt like heaven to be so free, but a voice in the back of her mind kept telling Chloe that what she was doing was wrong. She didn't want it to stop though; she wanted to go on kissing Sark forever. She wanted to be with him more than anything, wanted him to see her like no one else ever had. He unhooked her bra skillfully, and Chloe gasped as he slowly slid it off her shoulders. She pulled back, suddenly overcome with fear.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, looking down at her worriedly. Heat filled her body, and Chloe knew that her face was as red as a tomato. His eyes were on her half-naked body, looking at her, seeing her in a new way. She hurriedly pushed her bra back up so that it covered her once more.  
  
"I...I think we're moving too fast." She stuttered, taking her hands off his chest quickly, as if she had been burned by his bare skin. Her breathing was ragged, and she was finding it hard to think. Though they were no longer touching, Sark's touch still ruled her. She had to look away from him, his gaze was too knowing, too loving.  
  
"Look at me Chloe," he said, tucking his finger under her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "I want this, and I know you want it too."  
  
"I...I can't." she said pulling away from him and walking to the other end of the room where she was safe from his touch.  
  
"Why not?" Sark did not try to approach her; he only looked at her with soulful eyes that sought answers.  
  
"It's not right Julian." She replied, "I want my first time to be romantic, with candles and roses. I don't want it to be in some sleazy motel where people come for one night stands." Chloe wrapped her arms around herself, trying to give her body some coverage and hide it from Sark's gaze, which traveled over her easily. Any reply that Sark was going to make was cut off by the sound of car doors opening and closing.  
Curiously, Chloe approached the window and peeked through the curtain. She gasped and Sark hurried to her side.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, placing his hand on her shoulder and looking over her head out the window.  
  
"My parents," Chloe whispered, quickly drawing away from the window so that the field agents and her family would not see her, "They must have traced my call." She looked up at Sark, her eyes wide with fright. "We have to get out of here before they find out which room we're in." Sark nodded and grabbed his shirt. He pulled it on and tossed Chloe hers.  
  
"We'll have to crawl out of the bathroom window." He said, picking up her backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Chloe nodded and followed him into the small, closet like room.  
  
"Wait!" she cried turning around and running back into the room. She ran back in quickly and held the laptop up. "We almost forgot the disk." Sark pried open the window and helped Chloe through. He tossed the backpack out to her, then handed the laptop through before climbing out himself.  
  
  
  
Vaughn pulled their car into the parking lot of the Starlight Motel and Sydney jumped out quickly, careful not to slam the door shut behind her. She followed her father, Dixon, and her husband to the main office. The clerk behind the desk looked up at them sleepily, not at all surprised to see three men enter with one woman.  
  
"Can I help you?" he asked, eyeing Sydney up and down.  
  
"We're looking for this girl." Jack said, stepping between the clerk and his daughter, and holding out a recent picture of Chloe.  
  
"Whatcha lookin' for her for?" the man asked, his long, greasy black hair hanging in his face as he leaned over the picture.  
  
"Just answer the question." Jack barked. The man looked up at him, his pupils were dilated and blood shot, and the sickeningly sweet smell of pot hung in the air.  
  
"She came in last night," the man said, "hot chick too. She was with some British guy."  
  
"Where are they now?"  
  
"Ah..." the man checked the computer sitting beside him, "they're in room fifteen."  
  
"Thank you." Jack said briskly, turning on his heels and exiting the lobby with Sydney, Vaughn, and Dixon close behind.  
  
"I'll tell the men to move in." Dixon said as they walked back to the van that held a handful of CIA agents.  
  
"I want to go in first." Sydney said, breaking the silence that she had held since first receiving Chloe's phone call.  
  
"Do you think that's wise Syd?" Vaughn asked, looking at his wife.  
  
"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think I was up for it." Sydney growled, showing off her resemblance to her father. Vaughn looked to Jack for help, but the older man simply shrugged. Vaughn shook his head, knowing he wouldn't get any back up.  
Dixon signaled for his men to get out of the van and the group moved stealthily towards the room. He nodded and one of his men kicked in the door. Sydney entered the room first, her gun drawn and at the ready.  
  
"Damn it!" she yelled, kicking the bed as soon as she saw the empty room. "We were this close." She said as Vaughn and Jack entered the room. "We were this close."  
  
  
  
Alrighty y'all, here's the deal. I won't be updating for awhile 'cause I'm having trouble starting the next chapter. I know what I want to happen, but I just don't know how to start it. I won't be able to write any tomorrow, because I'm going to visit my sister at the camp that she works at. So, it might take awhile for the next update. Hopefully though, this chapter is enough to sustain you through those difficult days. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought. Maybe reading your reviews will help me get over my writers block.  
PS. Is it just me, or is Chloe starting to turn into a whiny crybaby? I don't know, but I'll have to fix that.  
  
Csk8-20: You'll have to fight me for them. Lol.  
  
Wicked-sista: I thought that that line was funny too.  
  
intriKate: I agree whole-heartedly with you. The problem is I often times write dialogue the same way I talk, which makes it really hard to write how someone else would speak. But I'll work on it.  
  
neptunestar: I agree with you. I wouldn't forgive a man if he hit me, especially if I was as tough as I portray Chloe to be. But the way I see it is Chloe knows that Sark is still trying to get used to being the good guy. He hasn't quite got a handle on his temper, and sometimes just needs to lash out. Also, Chloe is sort of used to Sark beating on her (that doesn't make it right I know, but bear with me) and so I think she sort of expects it to happen. I don't think I'm explaining this right, but I'm not sure if I understand it either. The thing is, I don't write the story, the story writes itself, and whatever happens in it is not necessarily what I want to happen. Does that make sense? Well, I should stop writing before I confuse you even more, and before I confuse myself. 


	23. The plan

* * *

This is _so cool_ over _TWO HUNDRED _reviews! You guys rock. Thank you all _so much_ for enjoying this story enough to review.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The crick in Sark's neck woke him from his uneasy sleep. He looked around him, unsure of where he was, when everything came rushing back.

After having fled from the motel room, he and Chloe had sought refuge in the small band of trees behind the motel. They hid there until the coast was clear. By then Chloe had already fallen asleep, and Sark, rather than wake her, decided to stay put.

Now, as he looked up at the canopy of branches and leaves that filtered the sunlight, Sark was glad that they had not moved. He was still weary from all the running and the fighting. It was good to have at least one night of uninterrupted sleep. He sat up slowly, careful not to wake Chloe, who slept with her head resting on his chest. Bracing himself against a tree, Sark shifted the young woman so she sat curled up next to him, her head falling onto his shoulder. He held her to him closely, and ran his hands through her hair, picking out rouge leaves as he did so. Chloe murmured sleepily, and nuzzled his neck. Smiling down at her, Sark placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and rested his chin on top of her head.

He had to think of what to do now. Though they remained one step ahead, the CIA was close on their tale. Sark needed to have a plan. As Chloe continued to sleep, Sark racked his brain for any idea he could come up with.

Finally, Chloe yawned and looked up at Sark with sleep filled eyes.

"Morning," she said as she sat up straight and stretched out the kinks in her back and arms.

"Good morning," he replied with a smile, leaning in to kiss her. Chloe pulled back before he could though, and pulled her lips into her mouth.

"Mmm," she murmured, shaking her head, "morning breath. Not at all sexy." Sark smirked, pulled her back to him, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Come on," he said, forcing himself to stand, "we need to get moving."

"I don't wanna," Chloe pouted. Sark shook his head and bent down to pick her up. He loved how light she was, and how perfectly she fit into his arms. Her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Her warmth seeped into his skin.

"Where are we going?" she asked, burying her face in his neck as Sark walked.

"France," he replied. Chloe's head shot up, the crown of her head hitting Sark's nose. He nearly dropped her.

"What do you mean France!" she cried, looking at him as if he had grown another head.

"We have to get out of the country," he said putting her down on the ground, "god Chloe that hurt." He rubbed his nose gently and checked to make sure it wasn't broken.

* * *

"Sorry," Chloe said sheepishly. She looked down at her hands, which were running over the creases in her jeans nervously. What the hell did Sark think he was saying? There was no way she was leaving the country like some fugitive of the law. No, she wouldn't do it. She'd kick and scream if she had to.

"It's fine," Sark growled lightly, he reached out to take Chloe's hand, but she pulled away. "What is it now?" he asked irritated.

"I'm not going Julian." She replied stubbornly as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I'm not running anymore."

"Do you want to find out what the hell that disk means?" He barked.

"What disk," Chloe said, "you left the laptop over there." She pointed towards the tree they had walked away from.

"Damn it," Sark mumbled as he turned around and went back for the laptop. When he returned Chloe looked him square in the eye.

"Why do we have to leave the country?" She asked him, having been able to gain control of her suddenly frazzled nerves while he was fetching the computer.

"Because the CIA does not have reason to follow us, it's not like I committed some big crime in abducting you." Sark said slowly, as if he were trying to explain his plan to a toddler. "Dixon will not waste his agents on following us when there are other things they could be doing that are more important. Even your grandfather will not be able to get him to send a team after us. We'll be free to work on the disk all we need."

"Until the Covenant tracks us." Chloe said, "There are so many holes in your plan Julian," she looked up at the trees and drew in a calming breath, "But," she said looking back into his eyes, "if you think it's the best idea, I'll do it." Sark smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips. Chloe drew back quickly, still uncertain if they were doing the right thing.

"There's one more thing," she said, "I need to get my passport. It's in my dorm."

* * *

Sark looked up at Sanderson Hall, the first place he had ever laid eyes on Chloe. He wasn't so sure about her going back in there. What if she was seen? What if someone called the police, or worse, her parents?

"Are you sure you want to go in there?" he asked, grabbing her arm as she started up the steps.

"It's not that hard Julian," she chuckled, prying his fingers off her arm gently. "I'm just gonna go in and get my passport out of my desk. I'll be back in a couple of minutes. With that she left him standing there.

* * *

Chloe checked to make sure nobody was coming as she climbed the stairs inside the dormitory. She reached the third floor easily and slipped through the door that separated the stairs from the hallway that housed the dorm rooms. The hall was empty and she quickly walked down to the sixth door on the right. She tested the knob. It was unlocked. Chloe was so glad that her roommate never listened to her and kept the room open all the time. She walked inside quickly.

Everything was the exact same as she had left it. It was like she had never even left. Grinning happily, Chloe wandered over to the desk and began to shift through the drawers, searching for her passport. Finding it hidden beneath a pile of old term papers, Chloe turned around and headed back for the door. Voices sounded outside of the door, causing her to stop mid-step. The knob began to turn and Chloe looked around the room, searching for a place to hide. She couldn't risk being seen.

Without thinking she dove beneath her bed just as her roommate walked in. She watched two pairs of feet move in front of her bed. She was so certain that they could hear her pounding heart. So intent on quieting her breathing, Chloe didn't even hear what the two girls were talking about. After a few minutes the girls left and Chloe was free to emerge from under the bed. With a sigh of relief she hurried down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the front door.

* * *

After purchasing the plane tickets, and going through airport security quickly, Sark and Chloe safely boarded the plane that would take them to Paris, France. Sark held his breath as they waited for the plane to take off, and was relieved when they were in the air. Nobody could stop them now.

The plane taxied down the runway, and the couple was soon disembarking. Sark looked at the city as an old friend. Paris had been his home for so many years. Looking over at Chloe, Sark couldn't help the smile that crept up his face. She had the awed look of a kid in a candy store. Her mouth was hanging open, and her eyes kept darting around her as if she couldn't take in the sights quick enough.

"Is this your first time in Paris?" He breathed into her ear teasingly as his arm wrapped around her waist protectively. A group of teenage boys had set their eyes on Chloe and were whispering quietly to each other. Sark felt a surge of jealousy surge through him as one of the braver teens approached them. Sark glared at him and the boy stopped where he was, uncertain of what to do. With a glare of his own, he turned back to his friends who teased him quietly.

"It's so beautiful." Chloe whispered, her voice filled with wonderment.

"Come on," Sark said with a laugh, "there's a beautiful hotel that's not far from here. It's got an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower."

"Really?" She asked. He could hear the eagerness in her voice.

"Really." He replied. Chloe smiled and Sark felt his heart lurch within his chest. He had never seen that smile before. It was a smile of complete and utter joy. He smiled to himself as he took her hand and led her over to a waiting cab.

* * *

All right, this chapter was complete and utter CRAP. There's no use in you all trying to tell me it was good, because it really wasn't. But, it at least sets the stage for the rest of the story. You can review if you want, but I'll understand if you don't. After all, who wants to review a bad chapter? The only reason I actually posted this one is because I needed to come up with a chapter, and I didn't want to keep you all waiting for too long. Hopefully I won't have as much trouble with the next chapter.

Sarks-Girl-89: Don't worry, there'll be plenty of confrontation in later chapters.

Alias-Addict-4-Life: Yes, last chapter was short. Sorry 'bout that and about how short this chapter was as well.

Zeriae: Chloe is p.o'd, but her anger won't surface for awhile.

neptunestar: Thank you so much for all the great advice you've given me, not just for last chapter, but for all the past chapters as well.

KatelynEmma, Rock-Witch, KoreanSpy05, Ressie06, Kiki, Illyria04, Wicked-sista, freakygirl, cg's-gal-72689, Beautiful Tragedy: Thank you all for taking the time to read and review this story. Y'all rock!


	24. City of Lights

Chapter Twenty-Three 

Chloe watched mesmerized as the city flew by the taxi window. She had always dreamed of seeing Paris, but the travels with her parents had never brought her to the City of Lights. Now here she was, seeing it for the first time, and it was more than she had ever imagined.

The old and new blended together perfectly. Storefronts with colorful awnings mixed with little artsy shops. People sat in front of small cafés sipping lattes and eating croissants.

Chloe couldn't take everything in. It was so overwhelming.

Suddenly, the taxi stopped outside a large ten story stone hotel. Chloe looked up at the building in awe as she stepped out of the taxi. Sark took her arm gently and led her inside.

"May I help you sir?" asked the concierge in a thick French accent. Sark walked over and spoke with the man quietly as Chloe stared at the lobby.

The floor was made of colorful squares of marble in mosaic design. White stone columns held up the lush ceiling that was painted to look like a map of France. Mirrors hung in gilded frames throughout the immense room and any wall space not covered by a mirror housed the replica of a famous painting. From across the room, the Mona Lisa smiled back at Chloe. The young woman felt as if she'd stepped into a fairyland. She had never seen anything so amazing, so beautiful in her entire life. She didn't even want to think how much it cost to stay there.

An arm wrapped around her waist and Chloe looked over her shoulder startled. Sark smirked down at her.

"If you think this is amazing," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear, "wait till you see the room." Chloe blushed slightly at the implication that they would be sharing a room. Every time they did that they came very close to having sex. Sark's hand found hers and he led her over to the elevators that lined one whole wall.

* * *

Sark hadn't been lying when he'd said the room was impressive. The room was more of a small apartment than anything. The entryway had the same mosaic floor, the same creamy white walls, and the same mirrors as the lobby. A plush bedroom branched off to the right of the entryway. You sunk into the large bed when you sat on it. The satin sheets and down pillows were the best money could buy. And two fluffy robes lay across the bed, two pairs of slippers on the floor beneath the robes. There was also a large living room type room, and a Class A bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub and large shower.

It was Sark's hope that they would not need any other room than the bedroom. But he knew he would not pressure Chloe into something she didn't want, no matter how badly he may want it.

"My god Julian," Chloe breathed, looking around the suite in awe, "this place must cost a fortune."

"It's nothing I can't afford." He replied with a nonchalant shrug. She turned to look at him, and Sark was over come with the urge to kiss her. He pulled Chloe to him, ignoring the bellhop that had followed them into the penthouse, and kissed her deeply.

He savored her taste, the way her lips moved against his own, and the way she moaned softly when he ran his tongue across her lips. Casually, he let one hand drop from her waist and waved the bellboy away.

* * *

Bored, that was the only way to describe what Chloe was feeling. She had been in the suite for nearly two days. She and Sark had holed themselves up in the room to work on deciphering the disk. Sure she was still in awe of the room, but after forty-eight hours, the novelty had sort of worn off. There was only so much TV she could watch; even watching Friends dubbed in French got boring after awhile. There were only so many baths she could take in the Jacuzzi before she started to turn into a prune. Room service had been called innumerable times. And still, the two of them were no where _near_ figuring out what the damn disk meant.

"Julian," Chloe whined, falling down beside Sark on the plush white couch and sinking into its cushions, "I'm bored." Sark looked up from the laptop. He had been working diligently on the disk ever since they had first checked in, well almost. The two of them took breaks whenever they felt the urge to make-out, but that was it.

"I'm sorry Chloe," Sark said pulling her into him. Chloe grinned and buried her face in Sark's shoulder, cuddling up to him tightly. "I've been so intent on working this out that I forgot about you." He pulled away so he could look the young woman in the eyes and pouted playfully, "Can you forgive me?" Chloe kissed his lips softly. "I'll take that as a yes." He chuckled. He stood, stretching out the kinks in his back and pulled Chloe up beside him.

"Where are we going?" She asked as he led her towards the door.

"We are going to tour the city." Sark replied grinning down at her. Chloe squealed like a little girl and hugged Sark tightly.

"Yippee." She cried giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you."

* * *

The city was so beautiful it made Chloe's breath catch in her throat. Sark led her down the streets, pointing out landmarks and famous sites. They went into small stores and boutiques, sat outside a famous café, and climbed up to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Looking down on Paris Chloe couldn't imagine anything more beautiful than what lay before her.

Looking over at Sark, she knew she had done the right thing in going with him. True he caused her a _lot_ of grief, but he always made up for it. He always made the effort to make things right between them. She reached over and took his hand in hers. Sark looked at her and smiled. Chloe felt her insides melt at his gaze and couldn't help the smile that spread across her own face.

But, with as much fun as she was having with Sark, Chloe couldn't help but think of the hurt she had caused her parents. They loved her more than anyone ever had and how did she repay them? By running off with Sark and making them think she had chosen him over them. She felt like a traitor to her family. Hadn't they spent their practically their whole lives fighting against the very man she loved?

With a sigh Chloe looked back down at the city. Sark's hand tightened around hers.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Chloe didn't know how to answer the question. She knew she felt bad about leaving her parents, but was that truly what was wrong?

"Nothing," she said shaking her head and pushing away from the railing. "I'm just tired." It wasn't a lie, not completely at least. She _was_ tired. Tired of being so confused, tired of being a bundle of emotions, tired of being a big crybaby. She hadn't been like that before. She was strong, independent. So why all of a sudden did she feel completely and utterly dependent upon Sark and his strength...his love?

Sark wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her towards the elevator that would take them back down to the city. Chloe loved the feel of his arms around her. She loved the way his muscles moved beneath his shirt, the way he held her so possessively yet lovingly at the same time. She loved the emotions his touch stirred within her, the fire that ignited within her soul. His touch thrilled her; his presence was all she could feel. She truly did love him and that scared her more than anything else ever had.

Chloe wasn't used to being in love. She wasn't used to having someone else hold her heart in their hands. Knowing that he had the power to break her heart, to destroy her very soul was the scariest thing she could imagine. But at the same time it was oddly reassuring. She had someone that she could tell everything to, even things she had never thought she could tell her parents. Sark was somebody to hold her when she was scared, or hurt, or just wanted to be held. He was solid, a comforting figure. But a deadly one.

* * *

As he watched Chloe sleep, Sark ran his fingers through her hair. He loved the way she looked when she slept, so peaceful with a small smile playing across her lips; she was childlike and innocent. That was what he loved about Chloe. She was a tough bitch when she needed to be, but underneath that was a little girl. A sweet and unaffected little girl who would do anything to please the people she loved. She would even put her own needs and wants behind those of others. She was truly special.

Sark lay down beside Chloe and pulled her close to him, savoring the warmth that filled him. Her eyes were closed and Sark wanted nothing more than to know what was going on behind them. He was worried about her. She had seemed distant the whole way back to the hotel and he didn't know why. He had thought they'd been having a great time. Apparently he had been wrong.

Rubbing her arm gently with his fingers, Sark thought of all the times that they had lay together in bed. There were so many times that he had wanted to go farther, had wanted to be with her in the most intimate way possible. But whenever they got close, she pulled away. Sark felt as if he would burst with the need and want for her that filled him. It just wasn't possible though, not until Chloe wanted it too. Kissing her forehead gently, Sark closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

* * *

Short chapter I know, but at least it was _much_ better than the last one. I won't be updating this for awhile because my aunt, uncle, and cousins are coming to visit for awhile, so I won't be able to do any writing while they're here. I hope this chapter is enough to hold you guys over. Lol. Please review and tell me what you thought.

Zeriea: I'm sure Syd and Jack would have an alert out for Sark and Chloe. For the sake of the story though, they didn't.

neptunestar: True, Sark would have had him and Chloe using fake passports, but I didn't think about that till I had already posted the chapter.

Alias-Addict-4-Life: To be completely honest, even _I _don't know where this story is going. I do have a bunch of ideas floating around in my head, but I don't know which ones I'll use and which ones I'll trash. So hold in there, because there will be direction soon.

Sarks-Girl-89, freakygirl, wicked-sista, cg's-gal-72689, csk8-20, Kiki, and intriKate: Thank you all for reviewing and I hope you will continue. You all keep this story going whether you realize it or not. So thank you for all your thoughts and ideas.


	25. This is the night

  
**Important Author's Note: **As a firm believer in abstinence, I do not encourage the behavior in this chapter. I believe that sex should be saved for marriage, the way God intended it to be. I encourage all of you to take the stand, to wait until marriage to give yourself to the one you love. I don't mean to sound preachy (forgive me if I do) I just wanted all of you to be aware of where I stand on the issue. 

**Semi-Important Author's Note: **Well folks, my family is gone and I am free to write once again. I had a great time with my cousins, and was able to come up with lots of great ideas for this story while they were here. Thank you to all of you who reviewed the past chapter (names and comments will be given at the end of the chapter as usual). Your reviews prompted me to hurry up with this chapter. So, without further ado:

Chapter Twenty-Four 

Winding her way down the streets of Paris, Chloe looked from window to window of the famous boutiques. Sark had taken a chance on her and allowed her to use his credit card to go shopping. Though she was not a girly girl who loved to shop, Chloe did find it rather enjoyable to go from clothing store to clothing store. Occasionally she stopped at an outdoor vendor who was also selling clothing. The clothing on the streets were much cheaper than the stores, but Chloe was having too much fun running up Sark's card. Bags swung from her hands, gently bumping against her legs. Happy with her purchases she headed back to the hotel.

* * *

Chloe shoved the door of the suite open with her hip and entered the room, shopping bags in hand. The steady _click click_ of the laptop keys echoed against the marble floor of the entryway. A smile spread across her face. Sark was forever working on the disk. True it grew annoying that he was paying more attention to deciphering the contents of the disk than he was to Chloe, but she could deal with it. Hadn't that been the reason they'd come to Paris, to work on the disk uninterrupted?

Chloe made her way to the living room. Sark sat on the couch; his feet propped up on the antique coffee table and the laptop resting on his lap. He was dressed causally in jeans and a nice button up shirt, and his hair was messy, as if he had been running his fingers through it. He looked up at her, as if he could sense her gaze.

"I hope you left some clothing in the stores." He teased as he looked at the bags in her hands.

"Don't worry," she replied with a smirk, a trait she had picked up from Sark, "I left all the ugly stuff." Laying the bags down on the floor at her feet, Chloe walked over to the couch and sat down beside Sark. He closed the computer and placed it on the table. His hand found hers and he held it tenderly. Chloe felt the warmth of his touch seep into her skin. Even after being with him for awhile, she still felt butterflies in her stomach whenever Sark touched her.

* * *

Looking at Chloe, Sark knew that he could not wait any longer to be with her in the most intimate sense of the word. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. Running his tongue along her bottom lip he sought entrance to her mouth. She granted it and his tongue brushed against her own. His hands traveled over her body, taking in the smoothness of her skin. His body ached with need, he had to be with her, touch her, kiss her. He wanted nothing more than to hear Chloe calling out his name. Pushing his hand up under her shirt, Sark ran his fingers along the silky skin of her stomach.

"No, Julian," Chloe whispered, pushing him away from her slightly. Her breathing was ragged, and Sark was glad to see that he had the same affect on her as she had on him.

"What is it?" he asked, his own voice merely a whisper. His fingers traced lazy, sensual circles on her arm.

"I don't know if I'm ready," she said, her voice regaining strength, "I know I already said this, but I want my first time to be special, romantic." Sark leaned in and kissed her lips tenderly, pulling away before he became lost in the feel and taste of her mouth.

Julian Sark had never been a gentleman. He had always taken what he wanted without question, and without regret. So why now did he care so much about what one woman would say? _What has she done to me?_ He asked himself, the answer came to his mind instantly, _she loved you._

"Ok." He said looking Chloe in the eye, "I have an idea. Why don't we go out to dinner tonight, you know, get the full French experience."

"That sounds nice." Chloe replied with a warm smile.

"Why don't you go ahead and get ready." He said with a mysterious smile. He had had a plan earlier that morning, and while Chloe had been out shopping he had prepared what he hoped to be an _eventful_ evening.

"What do you have up your sleeve Mr. Sark?" Chloe asked, eyeing him, a smirk playing across her lips.

"Nothing." He replied with, or what he hoped to be, innocence. Chloe stood and walked into the bedroom. A minute later a shriek of excitement came from the bedroom. Sark smiled to himself. Chloe had found the dress. She came out of the room and stood in front of him, holding the dress in front of her.

"When did you get this?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

"You're not the only one who went shopping today." Sark replied with a smile. It was quite obvious from the way she stared at the dress then at Sark that Chloe liked the dress he had picked out for her. Chloe walked over to him and kissed him tenderly.

"Thank you." she whispered.

"You're welcome," Sark replied, "Now go get ready." Chloe smiled and walked back to the bedroom.

An hour later, Sark was dressed in _another _designer suit, and was waiting patiently for Chloe to appear. Finally, the door to the bedroom opened, and Chloe walked out.

Her hair was swept up on top of her head, and curls fell down to gently brush the sides of her face. Her make-up was light and natural and a delicate silver chain with a heart shaped diamond pendant hung at the base of her throat. But it was the dress that caught Sark's attention. The emerald green brought out Chloe's eyes; the strapless bodice showing off her perfectly rounded shoulders, and teasing Sark with tantalizing amounts of skin. A slit up the left side of the skirt revealed Chloe's trim, tan legs. The sleek silk hugged her body, revealing every curve. Sark couldn't believe how beautiful Chloe looked, her natural beauty enhance by the evening gown.

"Do you like it?" she asked, twirling around in front of Sark. It was difficult for Sark to speak. His breath was caught in his throat and he could not form a coherent thought. When he had seen the dress on the rack he had thought it was nice, but Chloe made it look absolutely _gorgeous._

"You look...amazing." Sark said, finally able to speak. A blush crept up Chloe's face, making her look even more enchanting and desirable. "Shall we go?" he asked walking over to her and offering his arm. Chloe took it with a smile.

"We shall." She replied, matching his British accent perfectly.

* * *

The romantic French bistro was filled with couples. The soft candle light, small two person tables, and gentle violin music made up the most romantic atmosphere Chloe had ever seen. She had never in all her life been to such an exquisitely beautiful and romantic place.

"'ere you go Mademoiselle," the waiter said, pulling out Chloe's chair as Sark sat down across from her in a secluded corner of the bistro.

"Merci." Chloe replied in a French accent as the waiter placed their thick black menus, with gold fringe, in front of them. The waiter nodded and left the couple. Chloe opened her menu and silently thanked her mother for the French lessons as she read the list of cuisine. She felt Sark's eyes on her as she read over her options. Looking up slightly, she met his eye.

"What?" she asked, self-consciously tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"Nothing," Sark said shaking his head and returning his gaze to the menu before him. Chloe pursed her lips together thoughtfully. He was up to something; she just knew it, but what?

* * *

Sipping his Champaign, Sark looked at Chloe. The candlelight cast a halo around her head, and played across her face, casting it in soft shadow. She looked like an angel sitting across from him. Her eyes were lowered, focusing on the veal on her plate, giving Sark the chance to study her.

There was no denying he had fallen in love with Chloe. The gentle way she had about her had ensnared him easily. But there was still a sense of danger about her. She could easily kick his butt if she wanted to, but he wasn't about to admit it to her. She was uniquely feminine, but tomboyish and tough at the same time. Sark wasn't an idiot. He didn't let people into his life easily, but Chloe had chipped away at his walls until she held his heart in her hands. That scared Sark more than anything else ever had.

As if she could sense him looking at her, Chloe looked up and smiled at Sark gently. Her smile was so soft and sweet that he just had to smile back.

* * *

As Sark unlocked the door to their suite, Chloe reflected on their dinner. It had been so sweet, so romantic. It was what Chloe had always imagined a true date to be. All the other guys she had dated (which equaled three) had taken her to places like McDonalds or Burger King, there was the occasional Ruby Tuesdays, but that was rare. Of course then she had been dating guys on a high school or college budget, not someone with money to throw away on things like dresses and romantic dinners.

But Sark was special even without the money. Sure he had been a complete jackass when she had first met him, but that was the past. Sark made Chloe feel special; he made her feel as if she were the only person in the room. He made her laugh, and cry, but most of all he made her feel loved.

Sark opened the door, and Chloe's breath caught in her throat. White candles lined the floor of the entryway and red rose petals were scattered about the marble.

"Oh my god," she breathed, stepping over the threshold. She turned around to look at Sark, whose eyes were lit with a smile and fiery passion. "When...when did..."

"I had room-service set it up while we were out." Sark said interrupting Chloe's astonished stuttering. He took her hand in his and led her down the hallway to the bedroom door, which stood open. Chloe felt as if she had stepped into a romance novel as she looked around the bedroom. The candles that snaked around the bed and the outer edges of the room had enhanced its original beauty. More rose petals had been placed on the bed and around the entire room. Chloe looked around in a daze. This could not be real, but it was.

"Julian, this is too beautiful," she said softly, looking up at the man she had come to love. The candlelight was reflected in his eyes, and Chloe felt herself being pulled into their blue whirlpool. The icy blue of his eyes had long since melted, and Chloe loved the newer shade of blue that they were.

Sark's fingers ran up and down her arm, sending delightful shivers down her spine. His free hand cupped her cheek and his thumb ran across her bottom lip.

"I wanted this to be special," he breathed, his voice betraying his own emotions. He captured her lips with his own and Chloe was grateful for the arm he wrapped around her waist. Her legs turned to jelly as his tongue snaked across her lips. Instinctively she opened her mouth to allow his tongue entrance. Fire spread through her body, consuming her entirely. Her mind was reeling, emotions flooded through her. All her doubts and fears were swept out of her mind, leaving room for only the want and need she had for Sark.

His hands roamed her body and she soon found herself falling onto the bed. How they had gotten there Chloe didn't know. Sark's hands were everywhere, her arms, her face, her stomach, and her breasts. Her own hands snaked around his neck then traveled down his arms, to his chest. Without knowing what she was doing, Chloe found herself pushing Sark's jacket off his shoulders. Air was becoming unessential; Chloe lived off the cologne Sark was wearing, the way his hands touched her, and the feel of his lips on hers.

* * *

Sark was in heaven as Chloe kissed him with as much love and passion as he was kissing her. Her skin was soft beneath his fingers. He pulled away from her, gasping for much needed air. Looking down into Chloe's eyes, Sark saw the same need in her eyes that he felt, the same wanting for the thing that was sure to come. This time was different than all the other times they'd come close. This time Chloe was feeling the same things as him, Sark just knew it. He leaned down and placed soft kisses on her neck, reveling in the soft moans that came from Chloe's lips.

"Julian," his name had never sounded so incredibly sweet as it did now coming from Chloe. She arched her back into him as his kisses traveled down to the top of her breasts. Expertly he moved his hands beneath her and slowly moved the zipper down on her dress. Chloe's fingers fumbled with the buttons on his shirt. Sark reached up and gently guided her hands. When all the buttons were undone, Sark pulled the shirt off quickly and threw it on top of his jacket. Shivers ran down his spine as Chloe's hands explored his now bare torso. His muscles rippled beneath her fingers. She looked up at him with uncertain, virginal eyes. Sark took her hand in his and kissed her fingertips gently.

* * *

Chloe had never felt such feelings, had never experienced such emotions. Sark looked her in the eye, as if to ask permission as he gently slid her dress down. She nodded her head slowly, unable to speak. He slid the bodice down till it rested at her waist. Chloe shivered involuntarily. Sark was seeing her in a whole new light, in a way that no one had seen her before. A whimper escaped her as he leaned down and kissed her lips once more.

"I promise I won't hurt you." he whispered.

* * *

Whoa, now _that _was steamy! I hope you all liked the chapter and will review.

Sarks-Girl-89: The action's gonna have to wait awhile, unless you want to count the above scene as action. Lol. Anyway, right now I need to focus on Chloe and Sark's growing relationship.

Zeriea: Thanks for the long review! I am working on stopping Chloe from whining so much, so don't worry 'bout that.

Maree: For the sake of the story, or maybe just 'cause I wanted to, I developed my own version of Sark's history. I realize he wouldn't be that smart if he grew up on the street, but more aspects of his life will revealed in later chapters.

Wicked-sista: The funny thing is I've never even _been _to France. Hell I haven't even left the East Coast of the United States.

Eyghon: Yes, Chloe and Sark do seem to be going in circles, but that will soon change. There will be more action and adventure in the upcoming chapters, you have my word on that.

Freakygirl, Alias-Addict-4-Life, majesticness, and Illyria04: Thank you all for reviewing this story. I love having readers as faithful as you all.


	26. Addicted to your touch

**Important Author's Note**: Seeing as many of you asked about this, I decided that I would answer your questions before continuing with this story.

Yes I do believe in abstinence, but I know that I cannot instill all of my beliefs in my characters. I have to let them have their own personalities, their own opinions, and their own beliefs. Yes I can model Chloe after myself, but I cannot make her into who I am. The way I have set up Chloe's character is so that she is her own person, able to make her own choices. Now I may not always agree with what she does (I know I'm the author and there for dictate all her actions, but to be honest, I don't write the story. It writes itself.) she has to make her own choices, her own mistakes. I hope I explained myself well. I'm sorry if I confused anybody with what I said. Oh well. Anyway, on with the story.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chloe woke the next morning tired and sore between her legs, but she was happy. She opened her eyes slowly, taking in the way the morning light played across Sark's sleeping form. Pulling the sheets up over her bare torso, Chloe curled up closer to him and rested her head on his chest. His heartbeat was slow and rhythmic, his breathing easy. A hand traveled up her side, sending tantalizing chills down her spine. She opened her eyes slowly, an easy smile spreading across her face as she caught Sark's gaze

His fingers were tracing slow circles on her arm and Chloe felt herself falling prey to his touch. She closed her eyes and moaned gently as his fingers moved to her stomach. His touch was addictive and Chloe knew she would never get enough of it. Sark's lips caught hers passionately. Chloe gave herself up into the kiss, allowing Sark's tongue to ravage her mouth. She moaned as his hands slid down to her waist.

All too soon Sark's lips left hers, leaving Chloe aching for more. His eyes bore into hers and she felt as if he were reading her innermost thoughts. He cupped her cheek with a strong hand and brushed his thumb against her soft skin.

"I love you Chloe," he said, his voice low and husky. A shiver ran down Chloe's spine at the words.

"I love you too." She said, her lips turned up in a gentle smile. She loved the way her name dripped off his lips, the way he said the three words she loved to hear him say. She kissed him gently. Sark moved slightly, keeping his lips on hers, and covered her body with his own. His kisses traveled down to her neck and Chloe could not control her emotions. She moaned as his hands began to travel over every inch of her body, and soon became lost in the moment

* * *

Wiping the steam off the mirror in the bathroom, Chloe studied herself. Her face was flushed, her hair wet and hanging around her shoulders in limp curls. She couldn't help but smirk as she caught sight of the hickey on her neck. If her parents could see her now they would have quite a few things to tell her. But Chloe was a big girl. She was able to make her own decisions and she was able to deal with any of the consequences that might be result of that decision.

She reached over for her make-up bag that sat on the counter in front of her and carefully applied concealer and blush so as to hide the hickey. After pulling on a pair of jeans and a black sweater with a v-neck, Chloe emerged from the bathroom and headed into the living room. Sark sat on the couch, his jeans and button up shirt molded to his body, flipping through the channels. He looked up at Chloe as she sat down beside him, and pulled her into his body.

* * *

Sark loved the way Chloe's body molded to his. He loved the way she fit so perfectly against him. Okay, so he was turning into a mushy fool, but he was in love. For the first time in his life, Julian Sark was completely and utterly in love. And it had changed him. Though at times he hated what love had done to him, turning him from a tough as nails son-of-a-bitch who felt no remorse over killing an innocent person, into a sentimental idiot who stumbled over himself whenever Chloe was near.

His hand found its way under her sweater and rested on her warm stomach. The night before had been amazing. It was so hard for him to believe that Chloe had been a virgin until that night. She had caught onto things so quickly, had returned his passion equally, and had made their night together so sweet with her quiet inexperience. It was funny that way. She was inexperienced, but at the same time it was as if she had done it before.

Sark rained kisses on her neck, traveling over her jaw line and kissing her nose gently. Chloe murmured something that Sark couldn't quite make out, and snuggled further into his hold. She tilted her head back so that it rested on his shoulder, granting him better access to her swan like throat. His hand traveled further up her stomach till it rested just below the curve of her breast, and his lips moved over her throat with feverish passion and need. Chloe moaned. He loved it when she did that. There was no greater way to boost a man's confidence than by letting him know he was pleasing his woman. Just as his hand was about to run over her breast, the hotel phone rang.

Chloe stood to answer the phone, but Sark clung onto her hand, wanting her to stay in his arms.

"Let the machine get it." He pouted.

"It might be important," Chloe argued, trying to tug her hand free.

"How important can it be?" He asked, "It's just a hotel phone, and nobody knows we're here."

"Julian." She replied in a lightly reprimanding voice.

"Chloe," Sark said, startling himself. He was actually _whining_. Julian Sark _never_ whined. Chloe rolled her eyes and Sark reluctantly let her go. He watched her walk over to the phone, admiring the way her hips swayed with each step.

* * *

She knew he was watching her, so Chloe made sure to wiggle her ass a little more than she normally did. She liked the fact that Sark found her desirable enough to want to sleep with her. She smirked to herself as she picked up the phone.

"Hello?" she said. There was a strange sound on the other line, almost like somebody was clearing their throat, then the dial tone sounded in her ear. Chloe pulled the receiver away from her ear and looked at it curiously, as if the answer could be found in its polished handle.

"Who was it?" Sark asked from behind her. His arms wrapped around her waist and his mouth planted soft kisses on her neck.

"I don't know," she replied placing the receiver back on its cradle, "must have been a wrong number." She let Sark turn her around in his arms and kiss her passionately on the mouth. They moved as one to the couch and fell down. Sark's hands moved up under her sweater for the second time that morning and Chloe quickly unbuttoned his shirt.

* * *

"Well?" asked the stoic man, his fingers tapping impatiently on the polished surface of the mahogany desk he sat behind.

"We've located them sir." Replied the man that stood before him, his hands clasped behind his back. "It won't be long before we have the disk in our possession."

"And you're sure they haven't figured out what's on it?" the elderly man asked.

"Positive sir." The henchman replied.

"Good." The older gentleman turned his chair around to face the window that stretched across one wall of his office. "The girl must _never_ know what is on that disk. Do you hear me?" He spun back around quickly.

"Yes sir." The younger man replied.

"You can kill Sark," the man continued, "but I want Savannah alive."

"Of course sir." With that the henchman turned on his heel and exited the spacious office.

Picking up the photo that sat on his desk, the older man looked at it with glint in his eyes.

"It won't be long now Savannah, it won't be long before I have you back."

* * *

Oh the plot thickens. Lol. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If y'all are worried about the lack of action going on, don't worry. The next chapter will be action _packed_ you all have my word on that. Please review and tell me what you thought.

PS. Sorry it was a short chapter. I'll try and make the next one longer.

Eyghon: The opinion of an actual French person means a great deal to me. I have never been to France and have only seen a few pictures so I wasn't sure if my description would be good or not. And the whole thing with "bistro" was I didn't want to keep repeating restaurant. I didn't realize it was such an unromantic word. Lol.

Freakygirl: You make a good point. I had forgotten Vaughn speaks French.

Alias-Addict-4-Life: I'm Christian actually. Presbyterian to be more exact.

Beethoven, Illyria04, Reesie06, Sarks-Girl-89, majesticness, csk8-20, and Zeriae: Thank you all for reviewing this story. You all mean so much. I hope that you will continue to enjoy what I write.


	27. Figuring it out

**

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. Hopefully it won't take as long next time seeing as how I've got millions of ideas flowing through my head. **

Chapter Twenty-Six

The steady _tap tap tapping _of the computer keys filled the hotel living room. Chloe sat, her eyes riveted on the screen, trying yet again to decipher the meaning of all the numbers and names that covered the screen. Biting her lip, her brow furrowed in thought, Chloe moved her fingers over the keyboard. She scrolled down page after page of numbers, each column nearly identical to the one before. Then, for no reason at all, the numbers began to make sense, they formed a sequence, they had a meaning. With renewed vigor, Chloe's eyes flew down the pages; she reached over for a piece of hotel stationary and a pen and began to write things down.

Looking over the numbers she had written down, a smile crept up Chloe's face. She quickly exited out of the page and clicked onto the net. Making quick work of the security set around several restricted sites, she finally found what she was looking for.

"Julian," she shouted, "I know what this is!" the bathroom door flew open and Sark ran into the living room, a towel wrapped around his waist and water falling off his body and dripping onto the floor. He hurried to her side, and Chloe found it hard to take her eyes off his chiseled body. She heard him clear his throat, a small laugh bubbling up from his lips, and she blushed deeply before turning back towards the computer screen.

"Look," she said pointing to the rows of numbers, "these are bank account numbers."

"Are you sure?" Sark asked, turning the laptop so he could see the screen better.

"I'm positive." Chloe replied, clicking the mouse so that the page that held the disk's information came back up. "Look," she pointed out the column of bank accounts; "I ran all these through the computer and all the names came back as ghosts. Which means, that the people who set them up didn't want to be found."

"So you're saying this is some sort of Black Market transaction list?" Sark asked, his eyebrows arched in question. Chloe nodded.

"I'm just not sure what it's all for." She said.

"Who cares," Sark said pulling her close to him, "Chloe, you did it." A slow smile spread across Chloe's face as she felt Sark's damp arms around her waist and laid her head on his bare shoulder. His finger slid beneath her chin and lifted her face. His lips descended on hers and Chloe lost herself in the feel and taste of his mouth. Her hands slid over his bare chest as his own hands slipped up inside her shirt. They soon became lost in the moment.

* * *

He stood in the shadows, watching the window of their suite. People passed him on every side. The tourists with their maps, the natives who were patiently (and sometimes impatiently) giving them directions and answering their eager questions. Nobody seemed to notice him, so intent on their own tasks.

"We're ready to move in on your word sir." Said his companion. He looked over his shoulder at the man who, like himself, was dressed in a black suit and wore dark sunglasses even though it was nearing night.

"Excellent," he replied, "give the others the word. We move in as soon as the boss says so."

"Yes sir." The other man replied and quickly melted into the growing shadows. The city was winding down for the night. Lights were coming on in the shops, and flooding the streets with their soft glow. His cell phone began to ring, interrupting the quiet serenity of the city.

"Yes." He said, quickly pulling the phone from his pocket and answering.

"Move in," the voice on the other end said, "and Frankie if you hurt the girl I will not hesitate to kill you." the dial tone sounded in the man's ear and he hung up. Placing the phone calmly in his pocket once more he pressed the small transmitter in his ear.

"Let's move." He said.

* * *

Dinner arrived in their room, and the smell of the lobster underneath the silver lid of the tray made Chloe feel nauseous. She had felt sick that morning when she woke up, and had had to retreat to the bathroom more than once that day. It was probably just one of those twenty-four hour things. At least that's what she was hoping.

Sark took the lids off their food and Chloe had to fight back the bile that rose in her throat.

"Are you alright?" Sark asked, taking in how pale she had become.

"I think I'm gonna be sick." She said hurriedly, standing up and running to the bathroom. Leaning over the toilet, Chloe released the contents of her stomach. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she brushed it away with the back of her trembling hand. When she was certain she wouldn't throw-up anymore, Chloe flushed the toilet and rested her head against the cool porcelain. Breathing heavily, and her stomach abnormally empty, Chloe struggled to her feet. Her knees were weak beneath her and she was grateful to feel Sark's steady arms wrap around her and lift her up. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and breathed in his clean scent.

Gently, Sark laid her down on the bed and covered her. Chloe's eyes felt heavy and she felt herself slipping into easy sleep.

A sudden banging on the door broke through the blanket of sleep that was slowly covering her, and Chloe's eyes flew open. She looked around the room and did not see Sark. There were noises outside the bedroom, voices. Sitting up in bed, she cast a glance out the window and was startled to see the stars twinkling back at her. She had slept longer than she thought. Pushing the covers back she stepped out of the bed, her stomach rolling unpleasantly as she did so. Holding back the bile that rose in her throat, Chloe made her way towards the door that opened into the foyer.

The voices were louder. Someone was yelling and cursing while someone else spoke in a soft, harsh voice that was just above a growl. She couldn't make out what was being said, so she stepped closer to the door and inched it open.

A man stood in front of her, his profile illuminated by the bright lights of the living room. His greasy black hair was swept back in a ponytail and hit against his back with each mocking shake of his head. His nose was long and crooked, like it had been broken many times, and his eyes were slanted and a steely gray. He was beefy, well muscled and large. His mouth was set in a sinister smirk, more evil than the one that Sark had once used when addressing Chloe.

"Where's the disk Sark," he said, his voice gravely and low. His had been the one she could not make out. "I know you have it."

"I don't know what you're talking about Frankie," Sark replied. Chloe couldn't see where Sark stood; she could only see the gun that Frankie held pointed at him. The evil steel glinted in the light, making it look like it was alive.

"Don't you lie to me you son-of-a-bitch," Frankie cursed, "If you don't tell me where the damn disk is right now I will kill you."

"And if I do give it to you what's to stop you from killing me then? Sark asked, his voice calm and steady.

Chloe's heart was pounding loudly in her chest, drowning out Frankie's reply. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't move. What was she going to do? She had to do something or those bastards would kill Sark!

"Yo Frankie," Frankie turned slightly and Chloe caught sight of a long gash down the side of his face.

"What?" he barked.

"I think I found somethin' over here." The other man said.

"Move one muscle and I'll blow your brains out Sark." Frankie threatened as he moved out of sight and walked towards the other man.

Chloe slunk away from the door and moved into the bathroom, making sure not to make a sound as she opened the bathroom door and peered out into the living room. Four men, including Frankie, were tearing the room apart, pulling out the stuffing in the couch and chairs and over turning tables. Sark stood off to the side, his face a mask of calm. It helped to calm Chloe to see him so sedate, but at the same time it frightened her that he could seem so indifferent to the whole situation. She watched each of the men carefully, calculating their movements, studying the way they moved and acted. If she was going to do anything it would have to be soon, while they had their guard down.

* * *

When Sark had gone to answer the knocking on the door, before it could wake Chloe, Sark had not expected to be knocked across the jaw and pushed into the living room with a gun trained at him. He knew instantly that he couldn't take all four men on his own. Sark was a good fighter, but he wasn't that good. He would have to bide his time and wait for the opportune moment.

Frankie turned back towards him with a scowl on his face. Sark had known Frankie for three years; they had worked one or two missions together for the Covenant. Back then the man had been enjoyable company to Sark, now it seemed as if he had a score to settle.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sark caught sight of Chloe peeking out of the bathroom. He tried to signal to her to get out before they found her. But she wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were riveted on the four men that had taken over their suite. He could see the calculating look in her eyes and knew that she too was coming up with a plan. Sark didn't want Chloe hurt, he wanted her to get out and be safe. He knew that if they found her...well, he just wouldn't be able to deal with what they would do to her. Slowly, so as not to attract attention, Sark moved closer to where Chloe was.

"Hold it right there Sark," Frankie said, immediately turning on the English man, "Don't move a muscle." Sark froze. Discreetly, he looked over towards Chloe, who met his eye, but Frankie noticed his movement.

* * *

Chloe's breath caught in her throat as the bathroom door was flung open and she came face to face with those steely gray eyes and crooked nose. The gash on his face was even deadlier and menacing looking up close. His hand wrapped around her wrist in an iron grip and he pulled her out into the living room.

"Look what I found boys." He said, throwing Chloe onto the floor. She saw Sark move towards her, but Frankie held him back with a flash of his gun. She looked up into the leering faces of his companions and her heart leapt into her throat. Taking in a deep, calming breath, Chloe's racing mind began to formulate a plan.

Frankie advanced, his eyes flashing lustfully. She waited until he grabbed her arm once more and quickly pushed her foot into his stomach, grabbed his hands, and threw him up and over her. He landed with a crash, knocking over an end table and breaking a lamp in the process. It was complete mayhem after that.

Sark flew towards her, punching out one of Frankie's goons on his way. Reaching her, he quickly pulled her to her feet. Chloe released herself from Sark's grip quickly and dove for the gun that Frankie had dropped. Her hand closed over it, and Frankie's hand closed over hers. Chloe looked into his eyes, their empty coldness paralyzed her for a moment before she gathered her wits and punched him across the jaw with her free hand. Instead of releasing her, his hold tightened. Her eyes opened wide when she saw the flash of steel as he pulled a flip knife from his jacket. He snarled, released her hand and stood in one fluid movement before stepping on her hand, keeping the gun pinned to the ground.

Chloe winced. Frankie pointed the knife down at her, ready to throw it into her. Thinking quickly she kicked her leg over to the side and hit him behind the knee, causing him to buckle slightly and lose some of his balance. It was just what she needed. Chloe picked her trapped hand up quickly and was able to get it out from under his foot. But she had to let go of the gun in the process.

Casting a quick glance over at Sark, Chloe saw he was not doing too well. Three against one was not fair odds. She winced as he fell to the floor and stayed there, unmoving. As she watched him, she was unaware that Frankie had regained his balance. Suddenly, something hard clipped her across the temple, making the world spin and her vision to go dark temporarily. Shaking her head to clear it, Chloe stumbled to her feet, only to be knocked down once more by Frankie pushing her over. She stumbled, her feet tripping over the up-turned coffee table, and fell down on top of Sark.

Above her Frankie sneered. He reached down and picked up the gun that she had foolishly let go of. Everything moved in slow motion. Frankie trained the gun on Chloe and pulled back the hammer with a loud resounding click. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the bullet to lodge itself in her heart and kill her. There was a moment of long, agonizing silence, then a sudden bang.

* * *

Oh I love leaving you all hanging. Lol. Well, y'all got the action you were so desperate for. Hope it was enough. Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought.

Sarks-Girl-89: Sorry 'bout all the mushiness, I'm trying to stop it from being so sickeningly sweet, but it might take some work. I'm such a hopeless romantic.

Pink Flamingos Are Tacky: Thanks for the long review, I love recieving really long ones. And I'm glad to have new readers. I hope you'll keep reviewing. Oh yeah, love your screen name.

sarkalias12: Thank you so much for the compliment.

intriKate: Yes, Jesus certainly does rock! You might be onto something there with the whole Christian fan fic sight. It sounds like an awesome idea.

Csk8-20, neptunestar, majesticness, Zeriae, Eyghon, Beethoven, freakygirl, Reesie06, Alias-Addict-4-Life, and wicked-sista: Thank you all for reviewing and I hope you will continue to read and review this story as it progresses.


	28. Daddy Dearest

**Hey everybody. So guess what. Today is my sixteenth birthday! And I was thinking. It's not fair for me to be the only one to receive presents on my birthday, so here is my present to y'all. A brand new...CHAPTER! Enjoy. **

Chapter Twenty-Seven

There was no searing pain, no knowledge that it was all over, no floating of her soul up into the clouds. Chloe remained still as death, waiting for everything that should happen when you're dead. But nothing happened, nothing at all. She peaked one eye open and gasped in surprise as Frankie fell forward, his eyes staring at nothing and his mouth agape. He landed on the floor beside her, his lifeless arm draping over her legs. Quickly Chloe kicked it off and scrambled away from his dead form.

A pair of designer shoes came to rest beside Frankie's still form. Chloe's eyes traveled up the black dress pants, the white button-up shirt, black blazer, and red tie and landed on the green-gray eyes of the man that stood over her. His mouth was set in a firm line, causing the wrinkles in his face to stand out. His hair was a steely gray, with flecks of pure white throughout. He wasn't a large man, but instead was short and stout. What he lacked in height he made up for in intimidation. He seemed to fill the suite with his presence. His eyes rested on Chloe's, hardening further as he looked her over. She could feel him taking in every inch of her, studying her, judging her. He looked away from Chloe and turned to the man that was closest to him.

"Tie him up," He said in a deep baritone voice that did not fight is body. Chloe looked over her shoulder where Sark lay limp and still. One of the men reached down and began to tie up his arms and legs with a rope that had appeared as if by magic. She looked back at the man that had given the order.

"What...what do you want with us?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly as she tried to appear calm. His eyes fell upon her.

"That, my dear, is for me to know." He responded harshly. She felt Sark being picked up behind her.

"No!" she cried, clawing at his pant leg, trying to keep a hold on him. Chloe was scared. There was no denying it; there was no hiding it. What was happening? Who were these men that threatened their lives?

Tears streamed down her face as Sark was dragged away from her. He was her lifeline, the one thing that kept her steady in times of trouble. The man that had taken Sark dropped his body on the floor, close to the door. Chloe looked from Sark to the man that stood over her.

"Please don't hurt him." she whispered, her voice choked and strained.

"If you co-operate there will be no need to hurt him...Savannah."

* * *

How did this man know her name? Chloe couldn't figure it out. She sat on the floor of the dark room that she and Sark had been taken to after being taken from their hotel suite. The man and his cronies had led them out of the hotel and thrown the two of them in the back of a black van that was parked behind the hotel. They had driven for god knows how long, then were pulled out of the van and dragged into an abandoned looking house with over grown weeds and shutters that were hanging on by a hinge. Now Chloe and an unconscious Sark were locked in the dark, dank basement.

Fear was slowly creeping into every pore of her body. She didn't know what was going on, or what was happening. The basement reminded Chloe a lot of the cell that Sark had first locked her in, except it was a bit roomier and twice as dark. It was so dark that she could barely make out Sark's form beside her, nor could she see the slow rise and fall of chest as he breathed.

A thin stream of light flowed down the wooden stairs as the door was opened. Chloe looked up, shielding her eyes from the sudden light. Three figures were walking down the stairs, the light at their backs shrouding their faces in darkness.

"You're comin' with me." Said the shorter man as he pulled Chloe to her feet and dragged her towards the stairs.

"What about him?" asked one of the other two men, kicking Sark in the stomach. The man who held Chloe looked over his shoulder and sneered.

"Kill 'im." Panic rose in Chloe's throat as she was led up the stairs. They couldn't kill Sark, they just couldn't. She tried to pry her arm loose from the man's grip, but he held her in a surprisingly strong grip. She watched over her shoulder as the two men below pulled out their guns and pointed them at Sark's prone figure.

"No!" she yelled, "Leave him alone." But they didn't hear her as the door shut behind her and the man that held her. Gunfire rang through the house. "Julian!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, "No." Her voice dropped to a whisper, "Please God, no."

Numb and dead inside, Chloe allowed him to lead her down the narrow hallway. The fight was out of her. What reason was there for her to struggle if Sark was dead? The only reason she had tried to get free was so that they could be safe. But now he was dead. Tears fell down her face in a steady stream, landing on the dingy carpet and leaving dark spots. Finally the man led her into a small room.

It was a study of some sort, with a worn desk and chairs and bookshelves filled with books. The only bright spot in the whole room was the large fireplace that burned with a dim fire.

He sat her down in one of the dusty chairs and then sat behind the desk. His hands were folded in front of him and he surveyed Chloe with calculating eyes. But she wouldn't look at him. She kept her eyes on the floor, watching her shoes as they stirred up dust on the floor.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, her voice quiet and strained with tears.

"In due time Savannah, in due time." The man replied, leaning back in his chair pompously.

"How do you know my name?" She wondered, chancing a look into his emotionless eyes.

"Well my dear," he said leaning forward slightly, like he was about to tell her a great secret. "I gave you that name." Chloe's eyes flew up to meet his fully. What did he mean?

"That's not possible." She said, her voice stronger than she felt.

"On the contrary my dear," he said, his fingers dancing over the arms of his chair giddily, "It is possible." He pulled the disk that Chloe had given to him out of his pocket. "You see," he said, "I know that you know that this disk contains some..._incriminating_ information."

"What does the disk have to do with any of this?" She barked. Chloe felt like crying again, but the time for tears had ended, it was time to be tough. Like Sark would want her to be.

"It has _everything _to do with this." He said. "This contains information about you my dear."

"Me?" Chloe scoffed, "Yeah right."

"You don't believe me." He said standing up and walking around the desk till he stood in front of Chloe. "Tell me, haven't you ever wondered about your father?"

"What about my father?" She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Why...I'm your father."

* * *

Okay, so I hate how short this chapter is, but I am so stuck right now it's not even funny. Please review and tell me what you all thought, and if you have any ideas please feel free to share them.

PS. I have started my own C2 community and if anyone would like to be a staff member please email me.

endgame47: I'm glad you gave my story a chance. Thank you.

Zeriae: It's like you knew what I was writing before I even posted!

cg's-gal-72689: Thanks for the compliment. It's cool to know that I can make you like Sark.

Freelancer26, csk8-20, Reesie06, intriKate, Kiki, Sarks-Girl-89, Alias-Addict-4-Life, freakygirl, and majesticness: Thank you all so much for reviewing. Please keep sharing your thoughts and opinions, they mean a lot.


	29. The truth revealed

  
**After a long hiatus, I'm back with a brand new chapter! So please enjoy. I hope it was worth the wait.**  
  
Chapter Twenty-Eight 

It hurt Sark to lay there on that cold floor and listen to Chloe crying. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. But he couldn't. It would blow his whole plan to pieces if he opened his eyes. Chloe would know he was okay and she wouldn't be able to play her part. That was essential. Chloe _had_ to do her part.

He felt her being pulled away from him, but he couldn't hold onto her. It was hard to suppress a grunt as a hard kick was delivered to his stomach.

"Oh this is going to be fun." A voice laughed harshly above Sark.

"It sure is." Sark said sitting up quickly and grabbing the gun from his assailant's hand. The sound of gunfire split the basement and Chloe's screams echoed in Sark's head.

* * *

Chloe felt nauseous, physically nauseous. Her father! This son-of-a-bitch was her father. No, she wouldn't believe it. It was_ not_ true. This man was not her flesh and blood, he just couldn't be. Could he?

She wanted to throw up, but she forced down the bile that was rising in her throat. She wouldn't not give him the satisfaction.

"You're lying." She said through clenched teeth. "You're lying you bastard." He laughed a scathing laugh that sent chills down Chloe's spine.

"I assure you Savannah," he said with an evil grin, "I am not lying."

"My mother..." she started.

"You're "mother" was the one who lied." He interrupted, "In fact she wasn't even your mother the lying bitch. Whatever story she told you was completely false." He sat down on the edge of the desk and surveyed her. "You see my dear the woman who claimed to be your mother was in fact a maid of mine. My wife, your _real_ mother died while giving you birth. I saw that as my chance to make some easy, and much needed money. I contacted the Covenant. I knew they could help me. They had found you a good home. The people were loaded and ready to pay a fortune for you."

Chloe bit back a gasp.

"No." she breathed.

"Yes my dear." The man said, inspecting his yellowed nails as if he didn't have a care in the world, "I sold you on the black market. But, that stupid maid had grown attached to you and decided to save you from your "evil father." She stole you and ran off to the States with this disk." He waved the disk in the air like a flag, "I believe she was going to contact the authorities and give it to them. Well you know the Covenant couldn't have that. They went after her, forcing the both of you into hiding." He paused and looked at Chloe with his calculating eyes, trying to decipher her reaction. But she wouldn't give him one. She made her face stony and emotionless, like what she had often seen Sark do. The man cleared his throat and continued. "They came close to catching the both of you many times, but that damn woman kept eluding them. For awhile at least."

Chloe remembered clearly the day her mother had fallen down dead on the sidewalk as they had run from the men that often times chased them. She remembered screaming, trying to hold onto her mother and drag her along. But the weight had been too much for her, and she knew that she had had to run. Her mother wouldn't have wanted her to give up so easily; she would have wanted her to keep going. And that's what Chloe had done. She'd run and run until she had reached the orphanage, where she'd spent many years until Sydney and Vaughn adopted her.

Silent tears ran down her face, but Chloe didn't feel them. It all made sense now, even though she didn't want it to. It made complete sense. She sat there, in the filthy chair, unfeeling, unseeing, just being. Biting her lower lip until she could taste blood on her tongue, Chloe sat there rocking back and forth. Everything, her whole world, was crashing down around her. Her whole life had been lies. Lord knew she didn't want to believe this man, but she did, god she believed every word he was saying, and it hurt like hell.

* * *

Where had he taken her Sark wondered as he moved stealthily through the dingy halls. The house was a maze of ugly gray wall after ugly gray wall. There was no way of telling if he was going the right way or not. Hell he didn't even know which way they had gone to begin with. The gun in his hand was the only thing that Sark could feel. He held it out in front of him, ready to shoot at a moment's notice. But it seemed as if nobody was there, like the house was deserted. But was it really empty? He didn't know, and that's why he had to be on his guard until he and Chloe were safely out of there.

There was the sound of running to his left. Quickly, Sark ducked inside an open doorway and waited with baited breath for the person to pass him by. He heard sobbing, and chanced a look out of the door. Chloe was on her knees in front of him, her shoulders shaking roughly, and her face buried in her hands. Sark grabbed her arm and pulled her into the room with him.

* * *

She had to get out of there. Each moment she spent in that room with him, Chloe felt like she was suffocating. He reached out to touch her, but Chloe pushed his hand away roughly. She couldn't stand to be locked in there anymore. She stood up quickly and rushed out of the room. Her mind was running in a million different directions, emotions flooded every pore of her being. She couldn't think straight, could barely make her body do as she wanted. She didn't hear him coming after her, nor did she register the impact of her knees to the hard floor. But the strong grip of a rough hand, that registered. Chloe opened her mouth to scream as she was yanked to her feet and pulled into a dark room, but a hand clamped over her mouth and she swallowed the scream. Looking up into the face of her capture, Chloe's eyes widened.

Sark! No it couldn't be, he was dead. She had heard the gunfire herself.

_But you didn't _see_ them kill him, _a little voice in the back of her mind reminded her. Chloe's fingers flew over his face, taking in his features. It really was him! She would have known the feel of his skin anywhere. Fresh tears sprang to her eyes as she embraced him tightly.

"Shh." He whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her cheek, "it's going to be okay."

"I was so scared Julian." She whispered back, her voice muffled by his shoulder; "I was so scared that you were dead."

He held her there, and Chloe drank in his warmth. But she knew, deep down, that they couldn't stay like that forever. Sooner or later somebody would find them, and they had to be ready to run. Pulling herself together, for the moment at least, Chloe drew away from Sark and furiously rubbed the tears from her eyes. Footsteps sounded down the hallway, and Sark pushed Chloe further into the room as he readied the gun. He placed a finger over his lips, as if Chloe didn't know to be silent. She nodded slowly.

"I know you're here Savannah." Came the taunting voice of her father. A door banged open somewhere down the hall. "Come out come out wherever you are." Another door slammed open. This one closer. "I'm growing tired of this Savannah, and you don't want to see me when I'm mad." The footsteps stopped. Chloe was certain that her father could hear her rapidly beating heart. She tried to keep her breathing silent, but it was a struggle to bring in air. She moved closer to Sark and wrapped her hands around his free hand. He looked down at her and she was shocked by his emotionless eyes. The last time he had looked at her that way was when she was still his prisoner. Why had he reverted back to that? He looked from her to the pitch-blackness of the room's farthest corner. Chloe knew what he wanted her to do, but she wouldn't do it. They were in this together whether he wanted it that way or not.

She shook her head roughly and tightened her hold on his hand. Scowling, Sark turned back towards the door.

* * *

If Chloe was going to be safe, Sark had to make her move away from him. She was keeping him from doing what he had to do. Couldn't she see that? But when he tried to make her move away from him, and from the door and potential danger, she wouldn't. The stubbornness that he loved was back with a vengeance. There were no more tears, no more crying. Just a strong willed woman who wasn't going to back down from whatever fight was about to happen. When Sark realized that she wasn't going to budge, he turned back to the open door and came face to face with the man that had taken Chloe from him.

"Boo." The man said, laughing mirthlessly. "Looks like I found you." Startled, Sark tried to pull the trigger, but the man knocked it out of his hands with the force of an elephant. For one so small and stout, he had incredible strength. Sark dove for the gun, but the other man reached it first and held it trained on Sark. Staring down the barrel of the gun, Sark wasn't aware of Chloe moving behind him and, apparently, neither was the man.

"Bitch!" the man cursed as Chloe slammed her foot into his back. He fell forward toward Sark, but quickly caught his balance. But in that brief moment, Sark had been able to wrench the gun from his hands. The man lunged at him, Sark sidestepped and moved into the hall. He turned and lunged at Sark again. This time Sark was not able to move so swiftly, and was pinned against the wall. He dropped the gun and kicked it across the floor towards Chloe.

"No!" the man screamed as Chloe picked it up and aimed it at him.

* * *

I thought that'd be a nice place to leave off. Lol. I just love torturing you all. It's so much fun. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will review. And thank you for being so patient while I was going through my writer's block.

PS. Thanks everybody for the birthday wishes. I had an _awesome_ sweet sixteen. Just a little get together with my family and my two best amigas Allison and Jessica. The bestest friends ever!

PPS. Sorry the chapter was short.

allyispy: I love when people tell me they love my stories. Thank you very much.

Abby: Always nice to have new reviewers and I look forward to hearing what you have to say.

neptunestar, Alias-Addict-4-Life, intriKate, Reesie06, freakygirl, cg's-gal-72689, Zeriae, and csk8-20: Thank you all for reviewing. What y'all think means so much to me. Please keep it up.


	30. Erasing the past

**Important Author's Note:** It's finally here, the end of an era, the end of a legacy, the end of...this story. It's so hard to believe that this is the last chapter. I can't believe that I'm through writing this. It's been so awesome writing this story and reading what you all thought of it. I loved reading what you all had to say and I couldn't help but laugh at some of the things. You've all been as much a part of writing this story as I have. So now, I would like to take the time to thank all of you who reviewed this story. 

**Soccerchic1099**, Ren201, **Erin**, Raina, **TheUptownGirl**, allyispy, **Natalie**, freckledshoulders, **Logan13**, Bubbles460, **inquisitive1**, Zurine, **hannahbanana**, Celtic Jedi, **csk8-20**, The Contessa, **RedRose121**, wicked-sista, **Angels Touch**, Jonie, **neptunestar**, Angelus Love, **sam,** sallene, **Nicholette**, dferverio, **serindipity9**, tentoesupurnose16, **fangy,** Katherine, **blonde1w/smelborp**, Beautiful Tragedy, **majesticness**, Sarks-Girl-89, **Kim**, eyghon, **Zeriae**, Blue Cow, **Linzi**, JunIonyra, **Masta D**, Anna, **tropicalwahini1**, cg's-gal-72689, **Rock-Witch**, Ashgua**, Illyria04**, poe-baby, **mrs.bristow**, Reesie06, **KatelynEmma**, Alias-Addict-4-Life, **moni**, M.B, **intriKate**, Koreanspy05, **kiki**, freakygirl, **Maree**, Beethoven's Girl, **Sarkalias12**, Pink Flamingos Are Tacky, **CIAcutie**, Somewhere Outthere, **endgame47**, Abby, **Triple Agent, **and Spymantha

If I forgot _anybody_ I am extremely sorry. There's just so many of you that I wasn't sure if I got all y'all. Anyway, thank you once again for reviewing and thanks to all of those who read. You all made this possible.

Now on with the story.

Chapter Twenty-Nine 

Her hands trembled as Chloe held the gun pointed at her father. The last time she'd held a gun she had killed someone, now it looked like she had to kill yet again. What other choice was there? If she had Sark wanted any hope of escaping, killing the bastard was the only option.

"Put the gun down Savannah," the older man ordered her, trying to keep his grip on Sark's lapels.

"Shoot him Chloe!" Sark yelled at her, "shoot him _now." _He struggled against the man's iron grip to no avail. Looking from Sark to her father, Chloe couldn't stop the trembling of her hands, but she kept the gun trained on the man. They both continued to yell at her, their voices mixing together.

"Chloe."

"Savannah."

Their voices were one and the same, their orders loud in her ears. She didn't want to have to kill again. No, she wouldn't do it. She screwed her eyes shut and tried to block out their voices while still keeping the gun pointed in front of her. Tears fell down her face and her whole body was quaking. A life that she had never known flashed before her eyes.

The man, a younger version of him, standing above her, criticizing everything she did and said. Nothing was good enough for him. Not the way she talked or the way she walked. Neither her personality nor her mannerisms. It was hell on earth the way he sneered at her, hit her, trying to make her into what he wanted. Alcohol pungent on his breath. The teasing and belittling comments that tore her in two. How she had longed for his acceptance, his love.

Resolve filled Chloe. A man so evil, so vile, did not deserve to live. But it was not her job to kill him. The son-of-a-bitch would live another day. After that, it was out of her hands.

Opening her eyes she drew in a collective breath and marched over to the two men.

"Savannah listen to me," her father ordered, "You put the gun down right now." His eyes snapped at her, commanding her to obey.

"I may have listened to you as a child," she seethed, her jaw clenched tightly, "but I'm through letting you run my life." with that she brought the gun up and hit him sharply in the back of the head with the butt of the gun. He crumpled in a heap at her feet.

* * *

Sark felt the grip of his captor loosen and watched as he fell to the floor like a rag doll. Smirking slightly he looked at Chloe. She stood there, still as a statue, glaring down at the unconscious man. There was an eerie calmness about her, like some battle had been waged and won inside of her. She still clutched the gun tightly in her hand and her knuckles were slowly turning white.

"Let's go," Sark said wrapping an arm around her stiff shoulders and drawing her to him. "Before he wakes up." He started to lead Chloe away from the man, but she stopped mid-step.

"Wait." She said. Turning away from Sark, Chloe walked back towards the man and knelt beside him. Unsure of what she was doing, Sark watched curiously as Chloe reached inside the man's jacket and pulled out the disk.

"This thing's caused me enough trouble." She said standing up. Handing the gun to Sark, who took it carefully, Chloe gripped two sides of the disk and snapped it in half. Sark wanted to yell at her. She had just destroyed something that could bring them a _ton_ of money. They could live a life of luxury for the rest of their lives! But looking in her face, the way her eyes clouded over, the slump of her shoulders. Sark knew that that was what she had to do. Chloe had to get rid of any evidence of who she once was. She had to erase her past.

* * *

Looking down at the broken disk, then at her father, Chloe felt like she was going to be sick. The combined rush of adrenaline, fear, and all the other millions of emotions that had been running through her the past twenty-four hours suddenly flew from her body and she was left feeling weak and drained. Swaying slightly, Chloe felt Sark's arm wrap around her waist. She threw the two pieces of plastic down onto the man's chest and looked up at Sark.

"Let's go." She said. Sark nodded and led her down the hall. They turned the corner and he released his hold on her.

"Wait here." he said.

"Where are you going?" she asked. But did it really matter? All Chloe could think about was going to sleep or puking her guts out. It took all the strength she could muster to keep down whatever was in her stomach as she spoke.

"I'll be right back." Sark promised, placing a quick kiss on her lips. He walked away and Chloe stood there, bracing herself against the wall, trying to keep on her feet. She was drained and could barely keep her eyes open, much less stay standing.

Gunfire rang in her ears and Chloe couldn't help but jump. Sark came back, his face grim and the gun clutched in his hand. She looked in his eyes and nodded slightly, telling him that she didn't blame him for what he had done. The bastard had gotten what he'd deserved. Justice was done.

"Rest." He said gently as he picked her up. Chloe gladly followed his order and was soon drifting away on a cloud of dreamless sleep.

* * *

Watching the gentle waves of the ocean below him, Sark sighed deeply. He had taken the disk. He didn't know why. Maybe he was hoping that he could piece it back together and recover the information that was on it? He didn't know. All he knew was that he couldn't leave that place without taking it, and he knew that Chloe could never know that he had it.

Sark turned his head and looked at the sleeping beauty who had her own head resting on his shoulder. Her lips were parted slightly and her breathing was deep and gentle. Brushing a piece of hair out of her face, he watched her sleep, knowing that this would be the last time. As soon as they stepped on American soil Sark would be arrested. It was inevitable. The CIA knew they had fled the country, and he was certain Jack and Sydney had set up watches at all the international terminals. It was just the way they were. He didn't want to turn himself in, what idiot would? But he had to. He had promised Chloe, and he would keep his promise.

She shifted slightly, murmuring something incomprehensible. Her eyelids fluttered open and Sark smiled down into her brilliant eyes.

"How long have I been sleeping?" she asked, her voice husky.

"A few hours." He replied quietly, "We're about an half hour from landing." At his words Chloe's eyes widened and her hand found his. She too knew what was going to happen once they landed.

"Don't worry about me." Sark smiled weakly, "I'll be okay."

"I know you will." She said, her own face sullen. Her fingers tightened around his own, "I..." she took in a deep breath of air; "I just can't believe that this is all over. It's been so surreal, but now...now it's real." She looked down at their hands then back up into his eyes. A tear fell down her cheek and Sark pulled her into a passionate kiss. It would be the last time he would be able to. Pulling away, his breath quick and his heart pounding he looked into Chloe's flushed face.

"I love you." he whispered, looking her straight in the eye, "Don't you forget that. Don't you damn well forget."

* * *

The airport was crowded, but Chloe could clearly make out Dixon and his team of CIA operatives. They stood off to the side, trying to blend in. Chloe's heart dipped when her eyes landed on her parents and grandfather. They were looking around, their eyes searching every face that passed them. They were looking for her.

Chloe clutched Sark's hand tightly, her other hand around the bags that they had just had checked by customs. She could feel the eyes of her parents' fall on her and was grateful when they didn't come forward. She moved to step forward, but Sark didn't move with her. She looked up at him confused.

"You go." He said releasing her hand. But it was more than that. He was letting her go in more ways than one. He was letting her know that she was now free to go on with her life should she so choose. Tears choked Chloe. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay standing right there with Sark forever, to hell with her parents.

"Chloe, go." He said again, his tone harsher.

"No." she said wrapping her arms tightly around him. His own arms came around her waist, holding her close to him. "I love you." she whispered in his ear. Sark's arms tightened around her and his mouth descended on hers. Chloe let herself fall into the kiss, completely forgetting where they were and who was there waiting to separate them. He pulled away far too soon for her. There was a sadness in his eyes. Such a heartbreaking sadness that Chloe didn't want to let him go, but he pushed her away from him.

"Go." He said, his voice strained it didn't hold the authority it had on the first two commands. Slowly, Chloe released Sark's hand and moved away from him. Turning around, she closed her eyes tightly praying for the strength not to turn back to him. One foot in front of the other, she moved towards her parents.

She watched Sydney break away from Vaughn and run towards her. Soon she was swept up in her mother's loving embrace. Tears rained down her cheeks, mingling with the ones that fell down Chloe's. She knew she shouldn't, but Chloe couldn't help one last look at Sark.

He stood there, his back straight, his own emotions surpressed as Dixon and his men cuffed him and led him out of the airport. His eyes never left hers. Chloe knew that she would keep her promise to him. She wouldn't ever forget him, how could she when she carried a piece of him inside of her?

The End... 

...**Or is it?**


End file.
